Johannesburg - The mother of the slain former Eskom employee, Thembisile Yende, is scared for her family after hearing that the alleged killer of her daughter was granted bail.
Advocate Zola Majavu revealed to DRUM that David Ngwenya was granted R15 000 bail by the Springs Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
Ngwenya was arrested on 15 June and was denied bail in his first appearance on 18 June. His previous bail applications had failed but Majavu had remained adamant that the outstanding DNA results would exonerate his client of the charges. Majavu had said he was also in possession of video footage relating to the case as well as a DNA report, but would not give further details.
Speaking to DRUM on Thursday, the elated Majavu said: “We won the bail appeal for David…I am on my way to Modderbee Prison to secure his release.”
Accusation
Ngwenya, a 43-year-old technician at Eskom, is accused of injecting his alleged lover and junior colleague, Thembisile with a substance before striking her on the head with a crowbar and subsequently suffocating and strangling her after a struggle.
He allegedly killed her after he suspected that she would "spill the beans" on his alleged involvement in a copper cable theft syndicate.
Thembisile, a 29-year-old mother of one, went missing on 17 May. Her body was found in her office at the isolated Eskom Pietersboth substation in Springs about 36 kilometres outside of Johannesburg. This was after Eskom workers detected a bad smell more than a week after she was reported missing.
On hearing the news of David’s successful bail application, Thembisile's mother, Nesta said: “I was not aware of that; if that is true, it’s unfair to us as a family. It put our lives at risk, we don’t know what he can do to us. I am very disappointed.”
Quizzed about what is in the footage and the DNA results, the confident Majavu said: “Watch the space for what will transpire at the trial.”
He added that he will advise his client not to comment on his release.
