Mangosuthu University of Technology has noted the magistrate’s decision to remand in custody the accused suspects in the killing of Mr Shan Dwarika, the late lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering, who was found brutally murdered after being kidnapped for a week. The accused suspects will be remanded in custody from 13 June 2023, at least until 20 June 2023. The University community has welcomed this decision.
They will next appear again in the Durban Magistrate Court. Except for accused number four, who is a 43-year-old Sandile Mkhize, who will be kept in the Greenwood Park Police Station cells as he still has to apply for bail, all the other four accused were taken to Westville Prison. These are 25-year-old Sihle Mkhize, who is accused number one; 35-year-old Siyabonga Maye, accused number two; 29-year-old Kwanele Makhaye, accused number three; and Thabani Mhlongo, who is accused number five. Mhlongo is just 23 years old. They all have one lawyer from the Legal Aid. Accused number five, wearing a red gold shirt, kept his head down from the beginning to the end of the hearing.
State Prosecutor, Calvin Govender state prosecutor, addressing the Magistrate Sicelo Zuma, requested that all accused be denied bail so investigation by the law enforcement agencies would not be interfered with.
The hearing was covered by several media houses, which included East Coast Radio, SABC’s Ukhozi FM, the Natal Witness, television station 1KZN, and others. The media were given permission to take still photos and television footages.
The Dwarika family was not present in the court because there was a confusion about time for the case. Dwarika was a lecturer at the University’s Department of Electrical Engineering for 26 years. His body was found at Inanda on 28 May 2023.
Contact Bheki Hlophe at Hlophe@mut.ac.za