Men accused of killing three people outside bus depot denied bail

Two suspected gangsters accused of brazenly gunning down three people outside a bus depot in Gqeberha will have to remain behind bars after they were denied bail yesterday.

Magistrate Thundi Ngonyama said Neaven du Preez, 36, and Jody Cloete, 29, were a danger to society and needed to remain in custody until their trial was concluded.

Du Preez and Cloete are accused of fatally shooting Davedene van Zyl, 33, Johannes Bruintjies, 36, and Fortune Nyathi, 28, on Good Friday outside the Intercape offices in Perridgevale.

It is believed that Van Zyl and Bruintjies were in a relationship.

The shooters were arrested after a high-speed police chase.

During their formal bail applications, both men denied having been in the vicinity of the SPAR Acres or the Intercape offices at the time of the shootings.

According to chilling CCTV footage, just after 4pm on April 2, Bruintjies, Van Zyl and Nyathi buy tickets to Johannesburg at the Intercape office.

They then walk separately across the road to the SPAR to buy something to drink.

That is when the perpetrators open fire.

It is believed that the target of the hit was suspected rival gang member Bruintjies.

The men were arrested after their getaway vehicle hit a lamppost in Schauderville.

In refusing them bail, Ngonyama said that the area where the shootings had taken place was a busy business area with many people about, particularly at that time of the day.

The case was postponed in the magistrate’s court in Gqeberha to June 28 for further investigation.