Cousins in court for rape and murder of CPUT student
|Published
Cape Town - More charges were likely to be added against two cousins accused of murdering 23-year-old student Asiphe Cetwayo.
The cousins, Mlungisi Manzi, 26, and Luzuko Manzi, 36, appeared for the first time in the Paarl Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
The Cape Peninsula University of Technology student was studying towards her Education degree and was visiting her Mbekweni home for practicals.
She planned to return to her university residence last week.
Her lifeless body was found on March 4, after she had been raped and murdered, and her face and breasts were burnt with acid.
According to her aunt, Bongeka Cetywayo, she last saw Cetwayo in the early hours of Sunday morning, around 1am, when she went to a tavern with a neighbour and the neighbour’s friend.
The woman she left with told the family that when she arrived at the establishment, she noticed Cetwayo didn’t follow her out of the car they arrived in. The Cetywayo family was then alerted to the body, which was found on an open field.
Her father, Nyaniso Mhlaba, said: “After we found out who did this, we went to the police station with Luzuko and while the police were busy opening the case, the accused walked out of the police station.
“He is the owner of the car. When we had him with us, he informed us and the police that he had been with Mlungisi that morning. Mlungisi then told us that he was with them but he didn’t kill Asiphe, Luzuko did, but he admitted to being at the scene.”
Luzuko was arrested last week in Langa.
Initially, both accused abandoned their right to apply for bail, but Mlungisi changed his mind and elected to apply.
The case was postponed to March 25 for the bail hearing.
Mhlaba said they were angry when they heard about the bail application.
“This is disrespectful to us as a family. We actually knew we were going to experience problems with this case when the police let him walk out of the police station.
“Then they were sent to Allandale correctional facility where Luzuko’s stepfather is working.
“We know he is doing them favours; we want to challenge the State and remove them from there to either Pollsmoor or Drankenstein.
“We don’t want them to get any bail.
“They must rot in prison and be raped 100 times. They must get what they (allegedly) gave to Asiphe; we want them to suffer.”
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said more charges were expected to be added.
“At the moment they are charged with murder. More charges are likely to be added as the investigation continues.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za