The father of slain boxing champion Zolani Tete has expressed forgiveness towards those responsible for his son's death, but emphasized that he still wants justice to prevail. Zolile Tete made these comments following a court ruling in the Mdantsane magistrate's court, where magistrate Anton Pretorius denied bail to two of the four accused. The accused, Uzuzole Goqwana and Sinebhongo Qase, are considering appealing the decision.
According to Zolile Tete, his family has chosen to leave everything in God's hands and letting go of grudges will not bring his son back. He expressed relief that the two accused were denied bail, but made it clear that he does not wish to engage with their relatives. The family is still struggling to cope with the loss of Zolani Tete, who was gunned down outside his Mdantsane home on August 21.
The shooting incident resulted in the death of Zolani Tete and injured a woman who was with him in the vehicle. Three young children were also in the vehicle, and although they were physically unharmed, the family says they are still struggling with the emotional effects of the shooting. Zolile Tete mentioned that his 8-year-old grandson, who was in the back seat of the vehicle, is deeply traumatized and still startled by loud noises.
The four accused, including Goqwana, Qase, Athandwa Gangala, and Siphesihle Kolisa, face eight charges, including premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and unlawful possession of firearms. Goqwana and Qase were denied bail by magistrate Pretorius, who found that they failed to establish exceptional circumstances justifying their release.
The burden of proof shifts to the accused in schedule 6 offences like premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit murder, requiring them to actively convince the magistrate that they deserve to be released. The lawyers representing Goqwana and Qase are considering an appeal and are set to meet with their clients' families to discuss the possibility.
Attorney Asanda Pakade, representing Qase, stated that he is yet to receive formal instructions on the appeal matter, but a meeting with Qase's family is scheduled for Monday. Attorney Ayabonga Kampi, representing Goqwana, also plans to meet with his client's family to discuss a possible appeal.
The four accused are due in the Mdantsane magistrate's court on October 13. Zolile Tete emphasized that his family wants justice to take its course, despite having forgiven those responsible for his son's death.
Key points
- Zolani Tete's father has forgiven those responsible for his son's death.
- Two of the accused are considering appealing the bail decision.
- The family is still struggling to cope with the emotional effects of the shooting on the children.
