Zimbabwean man arrested for Marry Me murders abandons bail

A 27-year-old Zimbabwean man who is charged with six counts of murder after a violent attack at the Marry Me informal settlement in Soshanguve last month abandoned his bail application at the Pretoria North magistrate's court on Tuesday.

In addition to the six counts of murder, he was also charged with five counts of attempted murder and two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.

“The charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of ammunition and being illegal in the country that he previously appeared for on a separate matter, were joined to the current case,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said.

On March 22 at 3am in the Marry Me informal settlement, a group of 12 patrollers were sitting on the street when they were approached by five men.

“The men opened fire, shooting one patroller and assaulting others with rocks and wooden poles before setting them on fire. Four patrollers died at the scene, while others were transported to the hospital, where two more succumbed to their injuries.”

The accused was arrested two days later. His case was postponed to April 17 for further investigations.

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