The man accused of murdering Cape Town activist Loyiso Nkohla abandoned his bail application in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
Also read: Man charged with murder of Loyiso Nkohla to appear in court today
According to the State, the 38-year-old Zukisa Tshabile and three other people who are yet to be arrested were hired to kill Nkohla.
The community activist was fatally shot at the Philippi Train Station in Cape Town earlier this year while addressing residents from an informal settlement who live on the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s (Prasa) Central Line. He was reportedly involved in relocating them.
On 17 April, four men opened fire on the crowd, killing Nkohla and injuring a former ANC councillor, a pregnant woman and one other person.
Nkohla first came into the spotlight when he and former ANC Councillor Andile Lili, along with a group of people, dumped faeces in front of the Western Cape legislature to protest over the inadequate sanitation standards in Khayelitsha. As per the Daily Maverick, this act earned him the nickname ‘poo fighter’.
Nyameka Mabandla, Nkohla’s wife, pleaded with Tshabile to cooperate with law enforcement agencies.
‘Tell the truth about the murder of my husband. I listened with shock that the accused is linked to so many other criminal cases and that we are, in fact, dealing with a hardened criminal who has terrorised our society for a long time,’ she said.
Tshabile was out on bail at the time of his arrest, and he faces an additional 17 counts of attempted murder.
He will remain in custody until his next court appearance, which is scheduled for 15 February.
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