KEY POINTS
- The accused allegedly slit his 79-year-old mother’s throat.
- His family insists he should not be granted bail.
- The community protests, demanding justice for the brutal crime.
The relatives of an Umlazi man who is suspected of killing his mother are requesting that he be kept in prison indefinitely because they worry about their safety if he is freed.
Tragic crime shakes Umlazi community
Sibusiso Radebe was charged with murder and made an appearance in KwaZulu-Natal’s Umlazi Magistrates Court on Wednesday. He is charged with the savage murder of his mother, 79, who was discovered inside her house with a slit in her throat.
Given the seriousness of the act and the long-lasting pain it has caused, his family has demanded justice and insisted that he not be released on bail. They claim that letting him go would put them in danger and cause trouble in the neighborhood.
As a family, we demand justice and that he be held accountable for this offense. The community is also furious, so if he were freed on bail, he would be in danger. “We are speechless,” his brother, Delani Radebe, remarked.
A history of violence and fear
According to Ewn, the accused was described as a threat to everyone around him by the family, who disclosed that they had suffered years of abuse and violence at his hands. They feel that his release would worsen the already tense situation in the neighborhood and cause them more trauma.
A picket was held outside the court on Wednesday by irate community members who demanded that Radebe not be granted bail. Many carried banners expressing their anger and frustration over the incident, demanding severe punishment.
The family no longer feels safe, Delani Radebe said, echoing their concerns.
“We are not safe if he could do this to his own mother,” he declared.
A magistrate will decide whether to grant bail or keep the accused in custody when he returns to court on Wednesday for a formal bail application.
