Mihalik suspects in court
Charged with murder of advocate and attempted murder of his 8-year-old son
TWO suspects will be appearing in court today for the murder of city advocate Pete Mihalik.
Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana said: “Suspects aged 26 and 31 years old were charged for the murder and attempted murder of a 50-yearold man and an 8-year-old boy .The duo are expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.”
Mihalik was shot dead on Tuesday outside Reddam House, a primary school on the Atlantic seaboard, where he was dropping off his son.
He was shot in the head while in his vehicle, by an unidentified suspect who fled in a metallic grey VW Polo.
His son also sustained injuries, but is reportedly in a stable condition.
The last case Mihalik worked on was at the Western Cape High Court, where he was representing Nkosinathi Cakasayo, a taxi boss and alleged member of the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata), in a double murder case.
Last Thursday, the case was postponed to November 26 for Mihalik and his colleagues in the defence to receive financial instructions from Cakasayo and his co-accused.
It is believed the accused had financial challenges, which led the court to order Mihalik and the other legal representatives to return on the date to confirm financial instructions.
Mihalik’s colleague, Daniel Witz, said the advocate had been involved in other pending cases, but he was unable to give details at this stage.
Taxi unions distanced themselves from the murder. Cata spokesperson Andile Seyamo said the association was not aware of, and had no links to, Mihalik’s murder.
The Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations spokesperson, Andile Kanyi, said his association also had no information pertaining to the matter.
Cakasayo is on trial with his co-accused and brothers, Andile Cakasayo and Melikhaya Cakasayo, with Nyameko Daki.
It is alleged that the accused were involved in the murder of two Cata members, Celani Twazi and Bongani Mququ, who were gunned down at the Cata-Kikki Murray branch, at Nyanga Taxi Terminus, on July 25, 2013.
It is the State’s case that Mquqo was at loggerheads with Andile, and they were going to meet at the terminus to make peace.
During bail hearings at the Athlone Magistrate’s Court, an investigating officer in the matter testified that Cakasayo was allegedly bribing the police to destroy evidence.