Mapaballo Borotho
- One of the three men accused of killing five-year-old Ditebogo Phalane appeared in the Pretoria North Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
- Bail was denied for Elia Moleko, while his co-accused, Nido Gumbe and Ali Sithole, had earlier abandoned their applications.
- The case was postponed to 10 September 2025 for indictment.
One of the three men accused of the brutal murder of five-year-old Ditebogo Phalane from Soshanguve appeared in the Pretoria North Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
The accused, Elia Moleko, Nido Gumbe, and Ali Sithole, face charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Gumbe, a Mozambican national, faces an additional charge of being in South Africa illegally.
The trio allegedly shot and killed young Ditebogo in May 2024 during an armed robbery targeting his father, Tebogo Phalane.
They were arrested shortly after the incident while already in custody at the Pretoria Moot Police Station on unrelated charges.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in Gauteng, Phindi Mjonondwana, confirmed that Moleko’s bail application was denied. Sithole and Gumbe had previously abandoned their applications.
Moleko had argued in his affidavit that he needed to care for his two minor children and his late brother’s child, adding that his detention would cost him income from his hair salon and school transport business.
However, Prosecutor Advocate Tumelo Letaoana opposed the application, leading evidence from Investigating Officer Sergeant Mashudu Savhasa, who testified that Moleko was a flight risk, had concealed prior convictions, and could endanger known witnesses.
Magistrate Maseena Khan ruled that Moleko had failed to demonstrate exceptional circumstances to justify bail and ordered that he remain in custody.
The case has been postponed to 10 September 2025 for indictment.
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