Africa-Press – South-Africa. The Western Cape government says it has activated its Court Watching Brief Unit to monitor court cases linked to attacks on public transport operators across the province.
The unit monitors criminal cases by attending court proceedings to note any police missteps in the investigation or trial processes.
One of the cases relates to the murder of Intercape bus driver Bangikhaya Machana. The 35-year-old bus driver was gunned down in April.
Western Cape Mobility MEC Daylin Mitchell attended the court appearance of Unathi Sintsili, the man accused of murdering Machana.
Violent, sophisticated and organised: Intercape begs for govt help as it bleeds R1m a year amid attacks
Sintsili, 28, was arrested by a team of detectives from the Western Cape police’s Serious and Violent Crimes Unit in Klapmuts last month.
He briefly appeared in the Bishop Lavis Magistrate’s Court in Cape Town on Thursday for a bail application, but the case was postponed to 8 September as his legal representative was not present in court.
Sintsili faces murder and attempted murder charges relating to attacks on buses in Cape Town in March and April.
“It’s vital that there are no loopholes in this case, and the Court Watching Brief Unit will provide feedback in this regard. No one has the right to hold our commuters, communities or sectors of our economy hostage for their own benefit,” said Western Cape Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen.
Allen added:
Mitchell said justice must be done.
“The targeted attacks on public transport operators are criminal, and I want to see justice prevail. The arrest of this suspect is one step in the right direction, and I am grateful for this breakthrough and progress made by SAPS in the investigation… We will track this case and many others in court and continue to follow up with SAPS until there is a successful conviction.”
Earlier, News24 reported that Intercape said there had been more than 80 attacks on its buses this year and around 150 last year. The attacks this year included 19 shootings and 29 incidents of rocks being thrown.
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