Angry residents of Makwarela have expressed dismay over the granting of bail to the former police sergeant who is accused of killing his landlord’s son. Nditsheni Lefty Mphephu appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 8 July, and was granted bail of R20,000.

The conditions attached to the bail state that Mphephu may not contact or interfere with any of the witnesses and that he must report to the Sibasa correctional facility on the last Friday of each month between 06:00 and 18:00.

Mphephu stands accused of murdering the son of his landlord at Makwarela. Tate Muthige was shot dead at his home, presumably for reprimanding Mphephu. He had complained to Mphephu about the noise he was making while students were studying for their final examinations. The incident happened in November 2023.

Mphephu, who was attached to the Public Order Policing Unit in Sibasa, made his first appearance in court on 29 November last year. During his incarceration, Mphephu had used different lawyers. His bail application was in the form of an affidavit and had been postponed several times before the judgment on Monday, 8 July.

After Monday’s hearing, Makwarela residents who have been following the case expressed their displeasure over the granting of bail. Mr. Tovho Seemise, a local Makwarela community leader, said they had not expected this to happen.

“We had hoped and wished that he remained in custody until the finalisation of his case. As a community, we do not feel safe now. Mphephu was a policeman who was supposed to protect the community. This is painful for the family and the community at large. The community is angry, and when we explained the judgment to them, they could not understand,” he said.

The case was postponed to 26 August for further investigations.