WATCH: Bokgabo accused abandons bail application
The 30-year-old man is set to spend the festive season behind bars
The case against the man accused of raping and murdering four-year-old Bokgabo Poo was postponed to February for further investigation.
This is after the accused (30) appeared in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court on November 14.
He abandoned his bail application and will be remanded in custody on charges of kidnapping, rape, murder, defeating the ends of justice and violating a corpse.
Two matters against the accused were brought before the court at his latest appearance – the alleged rape of a nine-year-old Benoni girl earlier this year and the Bokgabo matter.
At the time of Bokgabo’s murder, the accused was out on bail for the alleged rape of the girl.
The lawyer for the defence told the magistrate that he was instructed not to apply for bail.
At the accused’s appearance on October 24, the State informed the court of its intention to apply to have the accused’s bail in the alleged rape of the nine-year-old revoked should his bail in the Bokgabo case be granted.
The intention was not carried out by the State due to the bail application being abandoned and the accused being remanded in custody.
Both cases were postponed to February 14 and will be heard in the Benoni Regional Court.
Community members were seen chanting outside the court in support of the family of Bokgabo and calling for justice.
The little girl’s father, Irvin Khoza, told the Benoni City Times that every time he sees her alleged killer he becomes overwhelmed with anger and prays that he doesn’t do “anything stupid.”
Bokgabo’s mother, Tsholo Poo, said she hopes that when they come to court next year that the accused has told the police where her child’s missing body parts are and who helped him commit the alleged crime.
Father Themba Seya, who has been providing the family with spiritual guidance since the murder, said: “Burying your child with missing body parts is not an easy thing and the sad part is that the suspect is not cooperating. I fail to understand how the police are failing to get the truth out of him.
“He is sitting in prison enjoying tax money benefits while Bokgabo’s family is grieving every day,” said Seya.
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