A 27-year-old man implicated in the killing of seven family members in Vlakfontein‚ south of Johannesburg‚ was stone-faced as he sat next to his co-accused‚ an elderly man dressed in a blue overall jacket‚ in the Lenasia Magistrate's Court on Monday.
He placed his hands on his thighs and looked at the media.
The two consulted with a lawyer ahead of the appearance and did not shy away from the media cameras as their pictures were snapped.
They sat in the dock with their feet shackled‚ waiting for proceedings to begin.
Meanwhile‚ right behind them in the court gallery sat two men whose children and partners were killed on October 19‚ allegedly by the two. The bodies were found last week.
Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane also attended the hearing.
Residents had come to the court in their numbers to demand justice following the killings. ‘No bail for killers’‚ ‘Throw away the keys’‚ ‘No tv‚ no food‚ no special treatment’‚ were some of the slogans written on their placards.
The group‚ many of whom were dressed in political regalia‚ sang struggle songs on the steps of the court and blew on whistles. One of the women in the protesting crowd lifted the underwear of a child in the air.
Security was tightened with controlled access to the courtroom.
Community member Thokozani Nkomo told TimesLIVE that he was here to stand in solidarity with the family as he knew all of the deceased.
“We lived with these people. They deserve justice‚” he said. “I have faith that justice will prevail.”
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