The second man arrested in connection with the January murder of two men allegedly killed for their Road Accident Fund (RAF) pay-out was again remanded in custody in the Mhala Magistrate’s Court in Thulamahashe on Monday, November 10.

Sydwell ‘Tsepu-tsepu’ Khoza, a businessman at Buyisonto in Bushbuckridge, has applied for bail during his latest court appearance but the court remanded him in custody pending his next appearance on Friday, November 14 for the judgment in the bail application.

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Khoza was arrested in Tzaneen, Limpopo, on October 22 in a joint operation comprising the Limpopo Tracking Team and the Ehlanzeni Murder and Robbery Unit.

“The suspect was arrested in connection with double murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping and related charges,” said Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli.

Khoza is accused of hiring people to kill two men, Xihlamariso Sambo and Kenneth Nonwell Nkuna.

He allegedly convinced the victims that he was handling their RAF claims and had the pay-out deposited into his account.

Khoza has so far appeared in court three times, and during each appearance, people protested outside calling for bail to be denied.

Meanwhile, another man, Present Sibuyi (31), is serving a 25 year sentence after pleading guilty to the murders before the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court in August.

On January 6, Sibuyi and an unknown accomplice followed the deceased’s vehicle after they left Mbube Tavern in Buyisonto, Bushbuckridge.

When the victims stopped on the roadside, the accused ambushed them at gunpoint, forced them into their vehicle, and drove to a secluded location.

During the ordeal, Sibuyi accused one of the victims of receiving a RAF pay-out, robbed them of a cellphone and R1 800 in cash, and shot them multiple times.

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The victims died on the scene from gunshot wounds to the head and hands, as confirmed by a post-mortem report.

“In court, Sibuyi admitted his actions were unlawful and entered into a Section 105A plea and sentence agreement with the state,” said Mpumalanga NPA spokesperson Monica Nyuswa.

State advocate Fedile Tsotetsi argued that the murder was premeditated and committed violently without provocation.