Six in custody for Andersonville murder

Update

GEORGE NEWS - A sixth accused in the murder of Denzil Fortuin (42) from Pacaltsdorp on December 2022, Thulani Maseti (25), appeared in the George Magistrate's Court on Monday 13 February alongside five other men.

All six accused appeared for the judgement of four of the suspects' bail applications. They all face charges of murder, assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm and kidnapping, after Fortuin and another victim were brutally assaulted and Fortuin shot to death.

It is believed that the accused, Wele Tom (38), Simphiwe Harmans (30), Kuzokuhle Dyandyi (29), Sibongile Maseti (28), Darryl Johnson (43) and Thulani Maseti, who were travelling in two vehicles, a silver and a black BMW, stopped at a house on the corner of Houtkapper and Protea streets in Andersonville, Pacaltsdorp on Sunday 4 December and fired several shots at the deceased.

Tom, Harmans, Dyandyi and Sibongile Maseti applied for bail. Bail was opposed by the state and denied by Magistrate Thiloshnie Govender on grounds of, among others, it being a schedule five offence, previous convictions and pending cases related to some of the accused, and the fact that the court could not find any exceptional circumstances to justify them being granted bail.

The four, all from Thembalethu, were arrested in Mission Street, Pacaltsdorp, in a black BMW shortly after the shooting.

No firearms were found in the vehicle with the suspects, and it is believed that the weapons used in the attack were in the second vehicle.

Johnson was arrested on Wednesday 7 December and a silver BMW parked in the CBD was also seized. He did not bring a bail application.

According to Western Cape police media liaison officer WO Joseph Swartbooi, the sixth accused, Thulani Maseti, was arrested on Wednesday 8 February in Thembalethu. He made his first court appearance last Friday. He indicated that he will make use of legal aid and will appear for his bail application on 28 February.