THE mlungu who allegedly shot dead mfundisi who was trying to help an injured pedestrian has been denied bail.
This after he appeared in the Heidelberg Magistrates Court on Wednesday, 26 April.
Angry residents of Ratanda were protesting outside the court, demanding that the suspect be denied bail.
Pastor Maxon Shaba (51) from Ratanda in Heidelberg was killed in what his family believed to be a racially motivated attack.
The deadly incident happened on 29 March when pastor Shaba and his wife were coming back from church in Jameson Park near Nigel.
Pastor's younger brother Fredi Shaba (49) said a pedestrian was knocked down by a car in front of the couple.
The car was allegedly driven by a white woman.
"My brother and his wife jumped out to help.
"While trying to remove this injured person from the road, this white woman was busy on the phone. They thought she was phoning ambulance or the police, but was calling her dad," he said
"I'm told as they were busy trying to help the man, the father of the woman who knocked the pedestrian down arrived. They said he came armed with a gun and a knife," Fredi said.
He said the woman's father was arrogant and told his brother to leave the injured man alone.
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"My brother being the kind man he was, he refused to let the man die and called the ambulance," Fredi said.
And this apparently made the mlungu angry and he allegedly and he drew a knife threatening to stab mamfundisi.
"When my brother saw his wife being threatened with a knife, he went to the car to fetch the sjambok," he said.
He said at that point, the mlungu went back to his car.
"My brother put the sjambok on the ground to attend to the injured man while waiting for an ambulance.
"His wife warned him to be careful as the mlungu had pulled out his gun. When my brother raised his head, he was shot in the chin, and the bullet went through his head," Fredi said.
Thulani Mashinini, president of the Socialist Economic Freedom Movement, said the killing of the pastor was influenced by pure racism.
"We are concerned that there's no transformation in Heidelberg even after many years into democracy. Racism is still alive here. Pastor Shaba was a prominent figure in Ratanda, and he didn't deserve to die the way he did," Mashinini said.
Constable Doris Nkosi of Heidelberg Police Station said the suspect (72) was arrested for murder.
The suspect will make his next appearance in court on 22 May.
