Ditebogo Phalane murder-accused was out on bail for attempted murder

One of the two people arrested in connection with Ditebogo Junior Phalane's murder was out on bail for attempted murder, hijacking and the possession of an unlicensed firearm when he was nabbed.

He was arrested while reporting at GaRankuwa police station to sign the bail condition register.

The man and his co-accused, a 29-year-old Mozambican national, are believed to have been involved in the murder of the Soshanguve child. 

The two, who were arrested on Thursday, appeared at the Atteridgeville magistrate’s court on Wednesday.

However, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said they could not link the two men to the murder.

“They are facing two counts of prohibited firearms and ammunition. The 29-year-old is Mozambican, and the other, aged 30, is South African,” she said.

She added that they have not linked the two suspects to the murder or the hijacking because the investigations were still underway.

“We don’t want to delve into the police investigation but at this point, there is no link. These are still the early stages of the investigation. We are still waiting for the ballistic report to check if the firearm is linked to the murder of the five-year-old,” she said.

Two other suspects who were the first to be arrested in connection with Ditebogo's murder two weeks ago have also appeared in court and could not be linked to the crime too.

Ditebogo was shot and killed earlier this month as he was running to welcome his father at their Soshanguve home. The father was arriving home just as hijackers pounced.

EFF's Obakeng Ramabodu, who was in court, said that they will follow the case to ensure that justice is served.

“We will monitor the case. I think what we should do as political parties is monitor the case because if we don’t, I am sure the case will disappear,” he said.