Anger as car guard ‘killer’ goes home
Family bitter he’ll enjoy Christmas
The family of the car guard who was killed on duty in Springs says it is hurt after the man accused of killing him was released on bail this week.
Lukas van der Merwe, 39, who is accused of killing Vusi Mgiqwa in October was released on R6,500 bail this week after spending over a month behind bars.
Van der Merwe briefly appeared in the Springs magistrate’s court yesterday and he will return on January 15.
Vusi’s sister Jabulile Mgiqwa said she did not expect the court to give Van der Merwe bail.
“I am not happy with his release on bail. He was saying painful things in his statement before the court. He said he did not kill Vusi but only assaulted him. As a family we know that Vusi was not sick. He did not take any medication. The man that killed him is out to enjoy Christmas with his family while our brother is gone. It is not right,” said Mgiqwa.
On October 26, Van der Merwe allegedly punched Mgiqwa outside a restaurant in Selcourt, Springs, after an altercation over parking. Mgiqwa fell on his head and was left unconscious due to the head injuries he suffered. He later died in hospital.
Van der Merwe left Mgiqwa on the ground and sped off with his wife and child in his car. However, witnesses took his car registration number and alerted the police immediately. The accused was arrested at his home on October 29.
In court, Van der Merwe indicated that he would plead not guilty to the charge of murder. He argued that Mgiqwa did not die because of his punch but because he landed on his head.
During bail application, Van der Merwe’s lawyers said that the state had no grounds to charge him with premeditated murder as there were no facts to back this argument.
In August, motorist Philani Milton Mkhulisa, 25, was released on bail of R2,000 in the Johanneburg magistrate’s court after he beat up a car guard. The guard, Sam Deseko, died on the city pavement as Mkhulisa, who was angry after his car was broken into , sped off. Cops arrested him at his Alexandra home.