City Press editor Mathatha Tsedu’s daughter-in-law is the sixth person to appear in court in connection with his son’s murder.
Mulalo Unity Sivhidzo (28) appeared in the Krugersdorp magistrate’s court on Tuesday in connection with the murder of her husband, Avhatakali Netshisaulu, Tsedu’s son.
She was charged under her maiden name, Sivhidzo. An administration clerk, she was not asked to plead and no charges were put to her.
The hearing was postponed to Friday for a bail application and she remains in custody in the Krugersdorp prison.
Five co-accused have already appeared in court in connection with Netshisaulu’s murder in the Honeydew area north of Johannesburg on December 7.
They are listed on the charge sheet as Ntambudzeni Mutsenene (29) address unknown and arrested on December 10; Sello Johannes Arnold (28) of Honeydew informal settlement, arrested December 14; Rodney Makhura (32) no address, unemployed and arrested on December 15; Setshaba Fokane (36) no address, unemployed and arrested December 16; and Mashudu Mutobvu (30) a general worker from Zandspruit informal settlement in Honeydew.
Family spokesperson Mpho Tsedu, Mathatha’s son, said he did not recognise any of the names of the other accused. Spectators, including Tsedu, crowded the court on Tuesday.
Outside the court, her husband Avhatakali Netshisaulu’s family expressed shock at his wife’s arrest.
”We did not know till she appeared today,” said Mpho Tsedu.
”The news had been received with shock in the entire family, we will obviously sit as family from today to see what we will do.”
The pair had been married for seven months and the family had believed it was a happy marriage and would like to still believe that, he said.
He emphasised that the family was law abiding and submitted to the laws of the country and therefore presumed Sivhidzo’s innocence.
He said they were still trying to deal with Avhatakali’s death. The charge sheet indicates the accused are all charged with Netshisaulu’s murder but gives no further details. No hijacking charge is listed.
The arrest warrant for Sivhidzo was issued on December 14 and she was arrested on Friday.
The other accused are applying for legal aid and are due to appear in the Krugersdorp magistrate’s court again on January 18.
Netshisaulu (31), a chartered accountant, was driving from his North Riding home to Honeydew when he was attacked. Hours later his body was found in the boot of his burnt-out car.
At the time, his wife told police he had called her on his cellphone to say he thought he was being hijacked and that when she called the police for help they did not respond.
She said she drove around the area until she found firemen dousing the flames on Netshisaulu’s car. – Sapa