Imbali mass shooting suspect appears in court

One of the suspects arrested on Friday following the murders of 10 family members in Imbali, made his first appearance at the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday morning.

Deon Thabo Warren Mathonsi (26) is facing 15 charges relating to attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, and murder.

The accused also has one pending case against him at the Howick Magistrate’s Court relating to possession of ammunition.

Mathonsi also related through his attorney that he was allegedly assaulted by SAPS following his arrest. He said he had blood on his pants from the alleged assault.

His pants will be taken in for testing to determine if it is his blood or that of the victims.

Mathonsi is set to reappear in court on May 5 for a formal bail application.

Mathonsi and another suspect were arrested on Friday after a gang of four hitmen stormed the Memela family home.

The police responded to a tip-off, leading them to a place one kilometre away from the crime scene, where four suspects were found participating in a cleansing ritual.

The suspects opened fire on seeing the police, and a shootout ensued.

One suspect was killed during the shootout and has been identified by SAPS as a notorious criminal wanted for many crimes around Pietermaritzburg and Durban.

The fourth suspect managed to flee.

In other news – Video: Actress Keke Mphuthi reveals her side hustle

Mzansi actress Keke Mphuthi has taken time to have a side hustle, even though her acting career has shown to be successful for several years now.

The actress has shown that her talent is unmatched as she took on roles from gangster to soft roles on Television. The actress is mainly known for her role in Unmarried, Umbuso, and many others. The actress sometimes switches up showing off her vacation and influencer lifestyle for a humble farm job. Learn More