Court delays bail ruling in murder case against young man from eMbalenhle

The Evander Magistrate’s Court postponed the bail judgment of Manqoba Maphanga (20), who faces a murder charge, to September 9.

Maphanga, from eMbalenhle, is accused of murdering 20-year-old Siyabonga Mthombeni in December 2023 at Ext 18, eMbalenhle. After the incident, he allegedly disappeared to evade arrest.

The Mthombeni family, who have consistently demanded justice for their son, previously accused the eMbalenhle SAPS of closing the case because they could not find the suspect.

They also alleged that Maphanga’s family hid him. When testifying in court, Captain Fanny Sindane, an eMbalenhle detective, opposed Maphanga’s release on bail.

He told the court that Maphanga was only handed to the police after his grandfather allegedly misled him into believing the case had been closed.

His grandmother then brought him to the authorities.

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Sindane argued that Maphanga remained a flight risk because he had already evaded arrest for over a year, moving between Dundonald and Bushbuckridge. He further testified that witnesses, some of whom are Maphanga’s friends, had allegedly been threatened by the suspect’s family.

The state reinforced this position, pointing out that Maphanga was on the run for 18 months, which showed his intention to avoid trial.
Maphanga’s attorney disputed that his client was a flight risk, insisting he had handed himself over to police, an argument rejected by Sindane and the State.

A community petition opposing Maphanga’s release was accepted by the court, with residents stating they believed he was dangerous and a threat to their children. However, a petition submitted by the Mthombeni family was rejected because it was signed and commissioned by the police.

Since Maphanga’s arrest, eMbalenhle residents have consistently picketed outside the court during his appearances, demanding justice for Mthombeni.

Siyabonga’s father, Doctor Mthombeni, thanked the community, the Ridge Times and Tebogo Sekaledi, the DA member of the Mpumalanga legislature, who assisted his family to get justice for their late son.

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