'No bail,' demand protesters as man accused of killing a Cape Town mother and her daughter appears

22 June 2020 - 14:59 By PHIILANI NOMBEMBE
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A protester pickets outside the Bellville magistrate's court where double murder accused Kyle Smith appeared for a bail application.
A protester pickets outside the Bellville magistrate's court where double murder accused Kyle Smith appeared for a bail application.
Image: Philani Nombembe

Kyle Smith, who is accused of killing a Cape Town mother and her daughter, has told the court that he has a clean record.

Smith, 28, appeared in the Bellville magistrate's court on Monday. He is charged with the double murder of Altecia Kortje and her daughter Raynishia, aged 7.

Kortje was stabbed several times in her home in Belhar about two weeks ago. Raynishia was drowned in a bathtub.

Smith brought a formal bail application, but the court heard that his residential address was yet to be verified. The state indicated that even if the investigating officer verified the address, the prosecution would oppose bail.

Smith’s legal aid lawyer Siviwe Duna said they would wait for the investigating officer to confirm the address because “we don’t want to bring a frivolous application”.

“My client still intends applying for bail,” said Duna. “My client has indicated that he is clean. He has no previous convictions and no pending cases.”

During the deliberations, a tall, slim built and cleanly shaven Smith stared ahead. He sported a black Nike tracksuit and a black mask with the Adidas emblem.

Protesters picketed outside the Bellville magistrate's court on Monday during Kyle Smith's appearance.
Protesters picketed outside the Bellville magistrate's court on Monday during Kyle Smith's appearance.
Image: Philani Nombembe

The court postponed the matter to June 29.

Outside court, a number of residents protested.

Some of the placards brandished by the crowd read, “Enough is enough. Stop the war on womxn. Womandla”, “No bail for Ryan Smith” and “Stop femicide”.

There are allegations that Kortje suffered abuse for a number of years.

On Thursday, deputy justice minister John Jeffery said the ministry would ask the public protector to probe allegations that Kortje had tried to obtain a protection order against Smith from the Bellville magistrate's court a week before her death — but that she was turned away.

The ministry said it took the allegations seriously, “all the more so, given the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide in our country — and have therefore referred the matter to the office of the public protector for an investigation”.

“If Altecia was indeed turned away, there will be grave consequences, as Altecia should have been assisted. No-one who seeks help should ever be turned away. We therefore need the public protector to investigate as to what happened at court on that morning,” said Jeffery.


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