Hlompho Mohapi murder case will continue in July

The murder case of the Thembalethu mother of two, Hlompho Mohapi (25), was on Wednesday remanded in the George Magistrate’s Court to Wednesday 31 July to finalise the centralisation of various cases against the three murder suspects, Melisizwe Monqo, Siphosihle Pamba and Phumlani Qusheka, George Herald reports.

Centralisation of cases
In March the trio appeared in the Ezibeleni Magistrate’s Court in Queenstown on charges of attempted murder. This came after three more potential victims in the Eastern Cape, on whom life insurance policies were also taken out without their knowledge, were identified during the Mohapi murder investigation.

Amongst others, the trio is facing charges of fraud, kidnapping, murder, attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. They have been in custody since their arrest in July 2018. Bail was denied in August.

The state intends having all the cases centralised and charged in the Circuit High Court in George later this year.

Before Mohapi was killed, two life insurance policies and a funeral policy were taken out on her life. On the day of her murder, the suspects allegedly lured her out of Thembalethu under false pretences of a job interview, after which she was abducted, brutally murdered and her body dumped next to the road leading to Voëlklip in Herold’s Bay.

The case will eventually continue in the Circuit High Court in George after the pre-trial.

Clayton Sampson represents Monqo and Pamba. Qusheka is represented by Pieter Terblanche and MP Heyns is for the state.