Alleged taxi hitman ‘Yesu’ is a flight risk, says prosecutor

 THE man dubbed Western Cape’s most wanted suspect allegedly provided a false address to the State and  has a pending matter against him, according to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). 

This is among the grounds the NPA relied on when it indicated that it would oppose the release of  Vuyolwethu Tshukela, known as ‘Yesu’ on bail when he made a brief appearance before the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. 

The 38-year-old was arrested in Welkom, Free State, after months on the run and has since been charged with murder, two charges of extortion, and one charge of attempted murder.

“He is a flight risk and does not have a fixed address. The address he provided turned out to be false, and there is an indication that he has a pending matter. The State is opposing the release of the accused,” said the prosecutor.

The case had previously been postponed to allow for bail-related information and legal representation.

Tshukela does not yet have a legal representative on record, although a lawyer stood up in court, indicating they may formally come on record at the next appearance on July 3.

 According to police, Tshukela had been sought in connection with a string of violent incidents that occurred between August and September 2024 in areas including Philippi East, Nyanga, and Delft.

 On August 18, 2024, Tshukela allegedly approached a group of taxi drivers during a meeting at a rank and shot one of them dead in front of eyewitnesses. The victim had reportedly refused to pay extortion money.

In a separate incident on September 17, 2024, the accused allegedly demanded payments from taxi drivers and threatened that those who did not comply would be shot.

Cape Times