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Court postpones case of father who 'accidentally' murdered son

Court postpones case of father who 'accidentally' murdered son.
Court postpones case of father who 'accidentally' murdered son.
Image: Tankiso Makhetha

The Ennerdale father who “accidentally” shot and killed his teenage son will have to wait another month to hear if the court case will be finalised. 

Emmanuel Sibusiso Tshabalala appeared briefly in the Lenasia Magistrate's Court on Tuesday on a charge of murder. The case was postponed to December 11. His lawyer Chewe Machaka requested the matter be postponed to allow him to finalise formal representations he intended to present to the director of public prosecutions (DPP).

Magistrate Maggie van der Merwe said she hoped the matter would be concluded on that day. “We have also requested to make a plea on a lesser charge [of culpable homicide],” Machaka told the court, adding that there were other aspects of the matter that also needed to be ironed out with the DPP. 

A visibly relieved Tshabalala said he was hopeful the matter would be concluded soon. Tshabalala shot and killed his son, Luyanda, on the premises of Fred Norman Secondary School after he mistook him for a hijacker.

He had gone to the school to fetch him from evening classes when he dozed off. Startled by a knock on the window and fearing his car was about to be hijacked, he pulled out the gun and fired, hitting his son.

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