Kamogelo Muvhenzhe
Stellenbosch Municipality Deputy Mayor Nyaniso Jindela stands accused of his predecessor’s murder.
Along with his wife and a taxi owner, the trio was arrested on Monday night.
Jindela, a DA member, his 46-year-old wife Unathi and the taxi owner are accused of the murder of 56-year-old Cameron Mcako who was shot dead in November 2019 outside his tavern in Kayamandi.
Mcako succumbed to the gun wounds in hospital two days later.
At the time of his murder, the police said they believed that the murder was politically motivated.
The three appeared in the Stellenbosch magistrate’s court on Thursday facing charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Jindela and his wife, a teacher, were released on R5,000 bail each.
The state did not oppose bail for the accused, saying it wanted to move the case to the Cape Town High Court for trial as soon as possible.
The alleged hitman in the case is scheduled to go on trial at the same time.
A pre-trial hearing will be held in the High Court on 11 June.
It’s reported that Jindela and Mcako were police officers and close friends in the early 1990s before entering politics.
On their Twitter account the municipality said they view the allegations in a very serious light.
“The Municipal Manager has referred the matter to the Office of the Speaker for handling.”
