The man accused of the rape and murder of 107-year-old Girley Phillipina Maphumulo at the weekend made a brief appearance in the Howick Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
The man‚ who cannot be named until he has tendered a plea‚ will be held in custody. It is understood that the man had been seen running from the woman’s home in Mpophomeni after the attack‚ and later handed himself over to police.
While a group of angry community members sang and chanted outside the rural KwaZulu-Natal courtroom‚ the 39-year-old man was led into the dock.
He told the court that he had no interest in applying for bail as he feared for his life “because of what is outside”.
He was held in custody and will return to court on February 9.
It is understood that members of the community‚ angered by the murder‚ had clashed with police in the township in the wake of the incident.
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