Cape Town - Five men appeared in Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Monday for the murder of Abongile Mafalala, a 31-year-old e-hailing driver who was the victim of a mob attack in Parkwood last week. The attack went viral on social media.
Nathan Leeman, Yuven Nawat, Bradley Murphy, Carlton Williams and Ashwin Tifflon have been charged with murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and malicious damage to property.
State advocate Brynmor Benjamin explained in court that on May 31, Mafalala was parked in the Parkwood area waiting for a passenger. Benjamin said Leeman and Newat initiated the attack after they approached Mafalala and accused him of kidnapping. The two then left the scene and gathered more people, egging on residents with the false information.
“During this time, a rumour spread around the whole Parkwood and a mob of about 300 people gathered at the place where the victim was parked. He was then pulled from the vehicle and numerous members from Parkwood, which is accused before court, then started attacking the victim,” Benjamin said.
It is the State’s case that the five along with others assaulted Mafalala with spades, poles and rocks, and at some stage set a dog on him and then set him on fire.
The State also has evidence that Murphy allegedly stabbed Mafalala with a knife. Mafalala’s shoes, clothes, wallet and cellphone were stolen during the attack. His vehicle had been ransacked of its parts and set on fire as well.
Thobeka Pikini, a close friend of Mafalala, organised a demonstration outside court where angry Dunoon residents held posters claiming the attack was racially motivated.
“As a community of black people, we are angry. If he was a criminal, they should have called police to sort it out, not to do something like that.
“They didn’t even give him a chance to explain and these are the same people who donated money for the funeral, for what?”
Mafalala’s long-time girlfriend Zandile Maweza shared this belief. She said: “If the guy was a coloured and praating Afrikaans, I’m sure they were going to listen to him, but they didn’t want to hear anything because he is a black guy and now they want to make peace. They want to make peace, for who?”
She said that she and the family wanted no involvement in the vigil held by the Parkwood community on Sunday.
“Let them do whatever they do there for themselves, we didn’t want to be part of it. Even if they do that, it won’t bring Abongile back.
“The way they killed him, burning him with tyres, all that stuff even though they see he is dead already. They even robbed him and took the takkies, the jeans and the phone and then parts of the car… It’s racism,” she said.
The matter was postponed for bail information and for some of the accused to get private attorneys.
The five men will be back in court on June 13, when more people are expected to be added to the list of accused.