Thabani Mzolo has been charged with murder and the possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
The KwaZulu-Natal man accused of shooting and killing a 21-year-old student from the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) last Tuesday has a previous assault conviction, the Durban magistrate’s court heard on Thursday.
Thabani Mzolo, 23, allegedly shot his girlfriend Zolile Khumalo on May 2 at MUT’s Lonsdale residence, which is a privately-leased residence in the Durban CBD.
Mzolo, who is a former electrical student at MUT, took to Facebook shortly after the shooting to apparently confess to the crime.
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He had been signed into Khumalo’s residence by another registered student, according to the institution.
Mzolo wore a light blue suit with a white shirt, when he appeared for the second time in court since the incident occurred.
He is charged with murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Residential addresses ‘proved negative’
The State submitted that Mzolo’s bail application could not proceed because the two addresses he had provided to police “proved negative”.
The State said they had verified both the Umhlanga Rocks and Estcourt addresses that Mzolo provided, but they were incorrect.
Mzolo then instructed his private lawyer Charl Claassen that the Estcourt address was the “correct address”.
But the State reiterated that Mzolo’s grandmother told them that he doesn’t live in Estcourt.
The grandmother said he comes there occasionally and he did not have any assets there, according to the State.
Magistrate Mahomed Motala said the address was a fundamental aspect during bail application.
Motala postponed Mzolo’s case to May 17, for his lawyer to take further instructions.
He would remain in custody until then. — News 24