Murder accused needs surgery

SIZWEZAKHE Vumazonke, the man accused of shooting and killing Eastern Cape schoolteacher Jayde Panayiotou has fallen ill and needs surgery.

This emerged in the Port Elizabeth High Court yesterday where a pretrial conference was due to take place.

Vumazonke appeared with Jayde’s husband and alleged mastermind behind the murder plot, Christopher Panayiotou, and co-accused Sinethemba Nenembe and Zolani Sibeko – all implicated in the murder.

Panayiotou has been accused of masterminding the abduction and murder of his wife in April last year, allegedly as she was a “financial burden”.

The State alleged he paid a bouncer at his Infinity night club, Luthando Siyoni, to hire hitman Vumazonke to kidnap and kill Jayde. Siyoni has turned State’s witness.

The State alleged Nenembe helped Vumazonke to kidnap and kill Jayde at the behest of her husband.

The charges against the four men include conspiracy to commit murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, murder and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. Panayiotou faces an additional charge of obstructing the course of justice.

Vumazonke’s lawyer Hannelie Bakker told Judge Glenn Goosen she could not communicate with her client during an earlier consultation yesterday morning.

“(Nenembe) and (Vumazonke) are incarcerated in the same cell, (Nenembe) has been assisting him for the past two weeks,” said Bakker.

Bakker added while Vumazonke had received some medical treatment at St Albans Prison, it was not helping his condition.

She requested that Vumazonke receives immediate medical attention. It is understood that he will be sent to a provincial hospital.

The case was postponed to September 5 for the pre-trial conference. – ANA