Teens among suspects in gallery owner killing

THE bail application of six men, including three 18-year-olds, charged with the murder of local art gallery owner Alan Gordon, was postponed in the Durban Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Gordon was stabbed and strangled. His body was put into his car which was driven to the Ndwedwe area, where Gordon was dumped and burnt on March 8.

The suspects – Nkanyiso Mathenjwa, 27, Mnqobi Hoboyi, 18, Siphesihle Vilakazi, 22, Nkululeko Mpanza, 18, Mvelo Hlambisa, 18, and 19-year-old Mluleki Alex Gwala – appeared in court yesterday where their bail application had been scheduled to begin.

It was postponed because legal representatives for Mathenjwa and Hlambisa were not ready to proceed.

The State alleges the accused acted in common purpose in killing Gordon and stealing R120000 from him.

Gordon, 57, owned Etchings Gallery in Park Boulevard Centre, Durban North, close to his Brown's Drift home.

It emerged that some of the accused are still in high school. This came out as the court heard a media application to have the six accused photographed before and after court proceedings.

The defence of the accused argued that having their pictures in print media would mean they would ultimately end up on social media and this could possibly lead to them being stigmatised at school.

Legal Aid South Africa attorney NN Ndlovu, representing Hoboyi, Vilakazi, Mpanza and Gwala, argued that the accused were very young and had a right to privacy.

The State had no objection to the application, with State prosecutor Calvin Govender saying it was an open court, proceedings were not in-camera.

“The main question is whether this will prejudice them and the State sees no prejudice if photographs are allowed,” he said.

Magistrate Vincent Hlatshwayo ruled that pictures could be taken of the accused when the court was not in session, either before entry or after leaving. However, the court was still in session when the men were escorted out.

Greenwood Park police arrested the six men while investigating Gordon's disappearance.