“WE KNOW nothing.”
These were the words of the men accused of killing six-year-old Bontle Mashiyane.
An inyanga (64) and his son (28) appeared in the Kabokweni Magistrates Court in Mpumalanga on Tuesday, 24 May on charges of rape, murder and kidnapping.
They were arrested on Saturday, 21 May after three suspects, aged (36), (40) and (25), led the police to them.
The three told cops they took body parts to the father and son after murdering and mutilating victims.
It has been alleged that the men confessed that they were part of a gang responsible for the disappearance of young girls in the White River area. Body parts were allegedly found at the inyanga’s house.
One suspect told the court he’d conduct his own defence while the other said he had appointed a legal representative.
They said they didn’t want the media to photograph or film them. Bontle was reported missing on 30 April, and her mutilated body was found in the bushes near her home in Mganduzweni outside White River on Saturday. Some of her body parts were missing.
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On Monday, 23 May, community members torched houses belonging to the suspects.
They said they wanted to destroy all their belongings to show they were no longer welcome in the community.
Protesters gathered outside court, saying they wanted the suspects released so they could deal with them.
A resident said: “The state is wasting money keeping them in their cells. They must release them.
“We want to punish them. They don’t deserve the treatment they are receiving now.”
The matter has been postponed to 24 June for further investigation.