COUPLE accused of the sexual assault and murder of Lolitha Khowa will remain behind bars.
Nokuthula Matyesini and her boyfriend, Odwa Jack appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrates Court on Wednesday, 20 August, where they abandoned bail.
They initially applied for bail but later abandoned their application after failing to provide an alternative address. Their home was vandalised following Lolitha's death and both families have refused to accommodate them. With nowhere else to go, the pair had no option but to remain in custody.
The case was postponed to 22 October for further investigations. The state is still awaiting postmortem and DNA results to confirm the findings from Lolitha's body.
Lolitha's mkhulu, Mthetheli expressed relief at the decision.
"We feel better that they will remain behind bars, this is what we wanted. They must remain behind bars after what they did. They must never get bail," he said outside court.
According to prosecutors, Lolitha was last seen on 22 July, playing at the accused's home with their four-year-old kid.
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Her body was discovered the following morning in Nambuzane Street.
A police sniffer dog was brought to the crime scene, and it allegedly traced a scent directly to the suspects' residence in Sindwadwa Street.
Inside the house, the dog indicated a mop and other areas where blood traces were later detected. The trail then led to a minibus taxi belonging to Jack, where more traces of blood were allegedly found.
Prosecutors revealed that Lolitha's body showed signs of severe trauma, confirming the brutality of the attack.
Forensic experts are conducting further tests to determine the full extent of the abuse.
Lolitha was laid to rest in Lady Frere, Eastern Cape, on 2 August.
Her uncle, Lucky Skade, said the family is struggling to cope.
"We still want to know what she did to deserve such a brutal death," he said.
The community remains shaken, and several people gathered outside the court demanding the accused be denied bail.
