'Flesh-eating' accused sobs in court

One of the men implicated in a grisly case of suspected cannibalism broke down and cried on Monday as he appeared in a KwaZulu-Natal court with his fellow accused.

Lungisani Magubane‚ 30‚ sobbed uncontrollably as he appeared with inyanga (traditional healer) Nino Mbatha‚ 32‚ Sithembiso Doctor Sithole‚ 31‚ who is also an inyanga‚ Lindokuhle Masondo‚ 32‚ and Khayelihle Lamula‚ 32‚ in the Estcourt Magistrate's court.

All five men‚ who tried to conceal their faces with hoodies or hats‚ face charges of murder‚ conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder.

They were arrested after Mbatha startled police on Friday‚ August 18‚ by telling them that he was "forced to eat human flesh and he was tired of it".

He named a neighbour‚ Mdumiseni Mchunu‚ with whom he had fought with earlier in the day as the alleged mastermind behind a flesh-eating plot.

His confession lifted the veil on a stomach-churning secret in the industrial town.

Inside the courtroom‚ Legal Aid lawyer Thandeka Hadebe told Magistrate Arthi Sukraj that her clients had decided not to apply for bail.

Sukraj ordered the accused to reveal their faces and then asked each to confirm that they were abandoning their bail application.

The magistrate had denied permission for cameras to record the proceedings.

State prosecutor Israel Zuma told the court that the state would oppose bail anyway.

He asked that the five be held in custody until September 28 to allow for more investigations.

"Your worship‚ there are more suspects that will still be arrested in relation to this matter‚" Zuma said.