MUT slaying: Zolile Khumalo murder accused to stay behind bars

A man accused of the brutal murder of Mangosuthu University of Technology student Zolile Khumalo has abandoned his bid for bail‚ and will be held in the Westville Prison until his trial starts.

Thabani Mzolo‚ 23‚ appeared briefly in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

He is alleged to have got into the student housing block in central Durban before forcing his way into Khumalo’s room where he shot and kicked her as she lay on the ground.

The court heard that vital evidentiary components that will underpin the state’s case‚ including the post mortem report‚ DNA analysis and a photo album‚ had not yet been finalised.

Mzolo’s attorney Charl Claassen‚ speaking outside the courthouse‚ said that the abandoning of the bail application had been done out of safety concerns.

“This is not the right time for it. There are significant safety concerns at the moment and we can’t ignore that‚” he said.

The matter was remanded to August 29‚ when Mzolo will appear before court via video link from the prison.