The Alexandra Magistrates’ Court has denied bail to David Ndala, the man accused of kidnapping Kabelo Dikobe, keeping him behind bars until his next appearance on May 28.

Ndala’s lawyer argued that his client posed no flight risk, stressing that he has a verified fixed residence, no pending cases, and voluntarily handed himself over to the police. He insisted the state’s case rests on ‘slim evidence’ and warned against turning a bail hearing into a substitute for trial.

Read more: Court denies bail for kidnapping accused

But prosecutor Lufuno Maphiri countered that Ndala was the last person seen with Dikobe before his disappearance on March 29. Maphiri said some people witnessed Ndala and three other suspects, who are still at large, put Dikobe into his vehicle at Joe’s Corner Tavern in Alexandra. Since then, Dikobe has not been seen.

Maphiri further revealed to the court that Ndala may have had a motive. Before Dikobe’s disappearance, two men, Ndala’s uncle and nephew, were murdered near a KFC in Alexandra. The state believes Ndala suspected Dikobe of involvement in that double murder after he learned that Dikobe was a possible suspect. It was not revealed in court how Ndala became aware that Dikobe was suspected of the crime. Maphiri stressed that Ndala cannot take the law into his own hands. “Police are there to investigate cases, and a murder docket had already been opened. There was no need for him to do that,” Maphiri said.

In delivering his ruling, Magistrate Reiner Boshoff emphasised that the victim’s continued absence meant the crime was ‘not yet completed.’ He concluded that the interests of justice did not permit Ndala’s release.

“The victim is still gone. So, in other words, if you think of the crime, it is still not completed. There might be a murder. We are not helped in any way by the defence here. Quite clearly, the interest of justice does not permit your release on bail,” Boshoff said.

Also read: Court denies bail for kidnapping accused

Meanwhile, Dikobe’s family remains tormented by uncertainty. His father, Thabo Ngoetjana, said the ordeal had left them emotionally drained and desperate for closure.
“We need closure. We need to move on with our lives. Right now, our livelihoods are stuck because of this whole situation, even though the suspect is in custody,” he said.

Ngoetjana added that seeing Ndala in court only deepened their pain. “The worst thing is going to court and seeing the suspect walking around freely. To us, he is still free. As long as we don’t know where our child is, it feels like he is on a holiday in there.”

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