Stabbed Forest High pupil was facing armed robbery charges - NPA
10 June 2019
The 16-year old Forest High School pupil who was stabbed to death last week had a pending armed robbery charge to his name, according to the State.
It was one of the reasons why the state did not oppose bail for Daniel Bakwela's alleged murderer, Mohammed Mwela.
"Of importance to note, is the fact that the family of the deceased was consulted about this decision," NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said.
The Johannesburg Magistrate's Court granted Mwela, 19, R5 000 bail on Monday. He faces a charge of murder for allegedly stabbing Bakwela to death outside his school. He also faces two charges of attempted murder for allegedly stabbing and wounding two other pupils.
"We also requested the family to furnish us with a death certificate of the deceased, reason being, we made them aware that the deceased in this matter was also facing a criminal charge of armed robbery in this court and was supposed to appear in August," Mjonondwane said.
Stouter Kinders Gang
She added that Bakwela was due to appear in court along with his friend, who Mawela also allegedly stabbed.
She said the State also had to consider all those facts before it decided that it would not oppose bail.
"Even now, the magistrate has ruled that there is an allegation that the deceased was part of a gang. As the State, we don't have information to rebut such allegations, hence we did not oppose bail in this matter," she said.
Mwela submitted to the court that on the day of the incident, he was allegedly under attack by the deceased's gang. When Magistrate Basimane Molwana asked how he knew that it was a gang, he said it was known that he belonged to a gang called the "Stouter Kinders".
Bakwela's friends, who were at court for Mwela's first appearance, confirmed to News24 that there was a group called the Stouter Kinders, but were adamant that they were not involved in any crime.
"Those are top kids, my friends. He (Bakwela) was in the gang but we were not doing gangsterism. We were just friends," one of the friends said.
Bakwela will go back to school and kill
On Monday, Bakwela's family cried and threw themselves on the floor of the court's corridors after Mwela was granted bail.
"A 19-year-old stabbed three boys - one died, two survived. Why didn't they allow those two boys to enter the courtroom and testify that it was not self-defence," Bakwela's uncle, Raymond Okita, said after the judgment.
He said they were worried Mwela would commit a similar crime because he knows he will be granted bail.
Okita added they were not calling for Mwela to spend the rest of his life in jail but wanted him to be punished and then released.
"He will go back to school and kill because he knows that his parents will give him R5 000 bail. It's not fair," he said.
