Accused forgoes bail

Thabani Mzolo, the man accused of twice shooting and then kicking student Zolile Khumalo as she lay dying on the floor of her Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) residence room in Durban last month, abandoned his bid for bail yesterday.

This was Mzolo’s fourth appearance before magistrate Mohammed Motala at the Durban Regional Court, where he was finally set to apply formally for bail after disputes over his address led to postponements.

Instead, lawyer Charl Claassen, acting for Mzolo, 23, said that his client would be abandoning his bail bid.

While the courtroom gallery was filled with Khumalo’s family, friends and peers, there was a remarkably smaller presence of students outside the courthouse. At previous appearances students had arrived in numbers, demanding Mzolo be denied bail.

Mzolo is alleged to have gained access to the MUT off-campus Lonsdale residence in the first week of May, made his way to the first-year quantity surveying student’s room and shot Khumalo to death with an unlicensed firearm. He then appeared to confess to the crime through a series of social media posts.

According to the state, Mzolo has a previous conviction for assault.

It was agreed that Mzolo’s next appearance would be on August 29, with the state informing the court that it was still awaiting post-mortem results and DNA tests.

Magistrate Motala said the August appearance would take place via video link from Westville Prison.

“Mr Mzolo, you are remanded in custody at Westville. The matter is adjourned as there is still quite a bit of investigation to be done in the case,” said Motala.

MUT came under severe criticism following Khumalo’s killing, with the student body questioning security measures at several of its off-campus residences.

The university has since said it would be erecting metal detectors at the residences. – ANA