Dimbaza murder accused in court

Report and picture

by Denver Donian

DIMBAZA -- A man arrested for a spree of killings and other violent crimes appeared briefly in a packed courtroom here yesterday.

Thobile Dingiswayo, 27, of the Mamata administrative area, was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody for further investigation until May15. He appeared in court in leg-irons.

Dingiswayo faces five counts of murder and two of rape, and charges of arson, hijacking, kidnapping, malicious damage to property, robbery and theft.

After the charge sheet was read out by the public prosecutor, magistrate TVanga explained the seriousness of the charges and said he could not grant bail.

An unemotional Dingiswayo had his rights to legal representation as well as the procedure for a formal bail application spelled out to him.

When asked by Vanga whether he required legal aid, he said he would appoint his own defence.

After the hearing, Dingiswayo was whisked to a waiting police vehicle in the courtyard, followed by the angry crowd of people who had crammed the court.

They surrounded the vehicle, chanting and jeering, and demanded he be handed over to them.

"He deserves the death penalty. He is a cruel and evil person who killed on a Christian holiday (Good Friday)," said onlooker Xolile Poni, 28, of Dimbaza.

"A life sentence is not good enough; he deserves to die."

It is alleged that Dingiswayo and an accomplice, Monde Mamata, 20, also of the Mamata administrative area, went on an orgy of violence in the Dimbaza area.

Mamata allegedly committed suicide last Wednesday as police closed in on him on a railway near here.

It is alleged the two killed 73-year-old Mamata resident Mathimba Mabhulu on Good Friday and set fire to his house.

Later the same day they allegedly hijacked taxi driver Luntu Buyana here, shot him dead and dumped the body.

On Easter Sunday they are alleged to have shot and robbed a 37-year-old security guard, Phindile Mentile.

A week later the men struck again when they allegedly abducted four friends from a house here, raped two of them and shot dead Nontutuzelo Adams, 18, and Dumisani Markus, 17.

The other two women, both aged 21, escaped the next day and called the police, who launched a massive manhunt.

The investigating officer, Captain Zukile Bawuti, said it was possible the two would be linked to further incidents of rape, robbery and murder.