Three face murder charge for 'hit' near courthouse in Cape Town

Three men appeared in the Wynberg magistrate’s court on Monday in connection with the execution-style hit on a woman captured by CCTV cameras after she left the same court building in Cape Town. 

“The suspects are charged with murder, attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila. 

The woman was gunned down at point-blank range in broad daylight on May 25 by a person who approached from behind on the sidewalk, pulled the trigger and ran off, in a scene reminiscent of the AKA shooting.

The brazen shooting has been the subject of much speculation as details remain sketchy. Police described the investigation as “sensitive” and declined to share further details after the arrest of four suspects, aged 24 to 33, who were “positively linked with the murder through thorough investigation and forensic evidence”, according to spokesperson Lt-Col Malcolm Pojie.

“The victim was gunned down after leaving the court building en route to the taxi rank,” he said previously.

Ntabazalila said the NPA had taken a decision not to name the three accused who appeared in court on Monday.

Unconfirmed media reports have named the woman as a foreign national who was allegedly threatened and then witnessed a murder, suggesting she was a witness in a criminal case. 

However, this was contradicted on Monday by Western Cape director of public prosecutions advocate Nicolette Bell, who said the NPA was deeply saddened by the murder. 

“At the time of her death, she was not a witness but an accused person who appeared in a murder matter,” she said.

“The NPA regards the safety of all witnesses, its staff, court personnel, and all people who appear in a court of paramount importance. To this end, a voluntary witness protection service is available to witnesses.” 

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