Three Lesotho nationals accused of killing 13 people at the Jumpers informal settlement are set to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrates Court on Friday morning to pursue a bail application.
Fourteen people were also injured during the incident at the informal settlement in Cleveland.
The defence has denied that the three Lesotho nationals were involved in illegal mining in relation to the Cleveland mass shooting. The state has indicated its intention to oppose bail for the trio. The case of the three accused Lesotho nationals, who are charged with murder, was previously remanded in custody until the following week.
The bail application was postponed the previous week after the lawyer for the accused informed the court that he had been unable to properly consult with his clients at the Johannesburg prison where they are being held.
Molebili Mosia, Ramonne Tsibela, and Zipho Metsing face 13 counts of murder and 14 counts of attempted murder following the mass shooting at the Jumpers informal settlement, east of Johannesburg, in June. According to the National Prosecuting Authority, surviving victims provided statements while in hospital and later accompanied police to the Maimai informal settlement in the Johannesburg CBD, where they allegedly identified the three accused.
The State has indicated that it will oppose bail due to the seriousness of the alleged offences committed by the three accused. Their lawyer, Advocate Phumudzo Sadiki, maintains that the police have arrested the wrong individuals, claiming that his clients were implicated solely because they are Lesotho nationals and due to infighting within the group at the settlement.
