Ntwaagae Seleka

Ntwaagae Seleka

The National Prosecuting Authority says the case against the people previously accused of killing three dry-cleaning employees might be reopened, but a lawyer has denied this.

"My clients will not be rearrested and I doubt that the case will be brought back to court," Theunis van Rensburg said.

Charl Colyn, sitting in his Vereeniging dry-cleaners, told Sowetan this week that the murder case would not be brought to trial again.

Colyn, Isabel Colyn, Jacques Smit and Ruan Swanepoel and gardeners Samuel Mzizi and Jacob Dlamini were arrested for the murders of Jocelyn Lesito, Constance Moeletsi and Victoria Ndweni in January 2006.

But the case was thrown out of court due to lack of evidence.

However, feelings are still running high in the Vaal community about the deaths of the three women employees and workers at the dry cleaners were reluctant to speak to Sowetan.

Only one woman said: "My friend told me that Colyn had paid his employees to spy on one another. They were not allowed to speak to anyone, especially the media."

Lesito's neighbour and friend Miki Molise, 34, said: "I think she died for her rights. The case must be brought back to court so we can have closure and know the murderers."

Another Sharpeville resident, Jabulani Cibinani, 23, said the deaths were racially motivated and if the victims were white, there would have been no faults in the police investigation.

"We want to see the killers rot in jail," Cibinani said.

"Those women left children behind. Who is taking care of them now?" Paulina Mokoena, 45, asked.

"What kind of people would do that to a pregnant woman?" asked Boitumelo Kanye, 22, referring to Ndweni, who was pregnant when she died.