Ekurhuleni murder accused to remain in custody as bail date postponed

Victor Matome Rampedi, accused of murdering Ekurhuleni woman Ntombifuthi Nxumalo, whose body was found next to the Mooifontein cemetery on Saturday, appeared in the Thembisa magistrate’s court on Tuesday.

The body of Nxumalo was the 10th body of a woman to be discovered in Ekurhuleni over the past two months.

Rampedi, 36, will remain in custody following his bail application being postponed to October 6 for further investigation.

Rampedi told the court he intended to apply for bail. The state indicated it would oppose his bail application.

Outside the court, Nxumalo’s family expressed anger at seeing Rampedi arrive at the building without handcuffs.

The deceased’s uncle, Vincent Nxumalo, said the family wanted the accused to remain behind bars. “He must rot in jail. If they keep him in jail, it will be a lesson to other men out there.”

The family is trying to raise money to transport Nxumalo’s body from Johannesburg to Nongoma, in KwaZulu-Natal, where she is expected to be buried.

The family said Nxumalo was unemployed and did not have any funeral insurance.