Family of slain Eskom employee still connecting dots

The family of slain Eskom employee Thembisile Yende says it is still connecting the dots in her murder.

"We as the family are still puzzled. We came here to look for answers but at this stage we can't really comment. I guess we will have to wait until Thursday [when judgment on a bail application is handed down]‚" said family spokesperson Mboneni Yende.

He was speaking outside the court where a bail application by David Ngwenya‚ the man accused of Thembisile's murder‚ was being heard.

It was revealed in court on Monday that Yende‚ 30‚ was going to expose illegal dealings in copper involving Ngwenya‚ 44.

The court heard that a key witness had told the police that Yende was killed because she knew of Ngwenya's copper dealings and was about to report his activities to Eskom managers.

On Tuesday‚ Ngwenya's lawyer‚ Advocate Francois Roets‚ however‚ told the court that there was no evidence linking Ngwenya to the case.

"There is no iota of evidence linking the accused to this case‚” he told the Springs Magistrate's Court on Tuesday during the bail application hearing.

Roets said Ngwenya was suitable for bail.

"On the bulk of the evidence‚ the applicant is a suitable candidate for bail coupled with stringent conditions. He poses no flight risk‚" Roets said.

He said the court should take into account that there is a presumption of innocence and Ngwenya is innocent until he is found guilty.

He added that Ngwenya had no previous convictions or pending cases.

"We have the investigating officer who conceded that in his heart he believes the applicant is a suitable candidate to be released on bail.

"That cannot be simply brushed away‚” Roets said.

There is no indication that the accused was engaged in intimidation of the witness‚ Roets told the court. Roets said the state was relying on a statement from a sangoma‚ whom Ngwenya had allegedly consulted to make him and his accomplices invisible.

Prosecutor Aubrey Classen said there was evidence linking Ngwenya to Thembisile's murder.

"A set of keys was found on him‚ which fitted those of the storeroom where she was kept.

"This shows this was premeditated."

Thembisile's body was found 13 days after she had disappeared. Her decomposing body was found in a store room next to her office in Peterboth sub-station in Springs.

Thembisile had been working at Eskom as a trainee technician. She joined the power utility in 2015.