A forme Hawks officer allegedly involved in the Nomzamo shooting massacre has been granted bail. In his bail testimony, accused number three claimed he only learned about the shooting on TV as he was at home in the rural Matatiele, in the Eastern Cape. He was linked to the suspects that allegedly stormed into the Mdlalose Tavern in Nomzamo, Orlando East, and randomly opened fire, killing 16 people in July 2022. The matter proceeded in his absence as the court heard that he was admitted at the prison hospital after suffering a mild stroke and abscess in his tooth. The state brought in a family member of the deceased and a representative of the community to take the witness stand.

WE WILL KILL

Zwelibanzi Nzimande (61), one of the parents who lost their children in the shooting boldly told the court that they will take matters into their own hands if any of the suspects are granted bail. "We as the families of the deceased, without fear or favour, if it happens that the court grants the suspects bail, we will take the matter into our own hands," he says. "I will date back to the day of the incident. If anyone in this gallery was present the morning after the incident, they will know where we are coming from. What happened, the manner in which they died, and how they were lying is not a sight anyone would like. Not even animals deserved that," Nzimande adds. When the forensic pathologists came to pick up the corpses, Nzimande says they wept in disbelief and struggled to accept what happened. "If the magistrate had seen what we went through, he wouldn't even consider bail as an option. Even coming to court takes us back to that night, hence we say, if this court grants them bail, we will kill them with our bare hands as they did to our children."

BAIL GRANTED

The magistrate presiding over the matter AW Morton says he understands the pain and feelings of loss felt by the community of Nomzamo. However, they cannot rule a case based on solely the emotions of the families. "Reasons tabled before me give me enough reason to grant the accused bail of R35 000. His passport has been handed over to the investigating officer and his address in Klerksdorp has been confirmed. He has three businesses that he personally needs to attend to including a burial society that has over 900 000 members and depends on him for pay-outs. "Morton adds that every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday the accused has to sign at the nearest police station in Klerksdorp. "He cannot leave his vicinity, if he wants to go somewhere he needs to consult with the investigating officer, Masilela. He's not supposed to change his address or threaten any of the witnesses in the matter. During his bail he is not supposed to be in any trouble with the law otherwise he will forfeit his money and be re-arrested."

The matter will be back in the Orlando East Magistrate's Court on 12 June 2023.