The alleged mastermind behind the brazen assassination of a Cape Town taxi boss, Dingalomoya Chintso, at the Wynberg Magistrate's Court, Shireen Matthews, has been denied bail, along with her co-accused, Wanay Fararo.
The two women, Matthews, 35, and Fararo, 23, appeared in court alongside Abubaker Adams, Brian Booysen, and Vuyisani Zengethwa, facing charges of premeditated murder in connection with the death of the former taxi owner on 8 April.
The courtroom was filled with tension as the judgment on the bail applications of Matthews and Fararo was delivered. Matthews visibly reacted to the proceedings, shaking her head.
The court also heard that the male accused are alleged members of the Junky Funky Kids gang.
Sergeant Patrick Mdokwana, stationed at the Provincial Serious and Crimes Unit and attached to the Taxi member Unit, submitted an affidavit opposing the release of bail for the two women.
Sergeant Mdokwana stated that after reviewing CCTV footage from the court on 8 April, he noticed three men exiting the court building and entering a white Suzuki Ertiga station wagon parked opposite the main entrance.
Upon tracing the vehicle's number plate, the police identified the owner and conducted an interview. The owner stated that he employed an e-hailing driver who used the vehicle.
The e-hailing driver, identified as "A," told police that Matthews had requested a ride from an address in Wynberg to the court, picking up two men and two women.
"A" said that after waiting for Matthews to pay him, one woman and three men got back into the vehicle and instructed him to take them to Lavender Hill.
Mdokwana added that on the way to Lavender Hill, the Uber driver overheard one of the men saying that they had shot and killed someone in court and that "the person went to paradise."
Investigations revealed that two days after the assassination, police visited the pick-up location in Wynberg that Matthews had requested on the day of the incident. The owner of the house stated that Matthews had arrived with an unknown man and woman.
Mdokwana added: "She [the house owner] also stated that Shireen requested a salaah or prayer top on 7 May and that her boyfriend Damian Paulse, came to her house later that same day with a white Volkswagen Polo car, to collect the salaah top from Shireen."
The court heard that on the day of the incident, while at the hotel, Matthews booked an e-hailing service for Adams and Zengethwa to drop them off at the court.
It is alleged that they then waited for a person known as "D" at the men's toilet. "D," who had worn the salaah top, had strapped the firearms onto her inner thighs and handed them over to the two men inside the toilet.
The court further heard that after the incident, "D" received R500 for her role, while the accused and Paulse went to Monkey Valley Resort to celebrate the successful execution.
The magistrate presiding over the case stated that the accused had shown no regard for the safety of the public and court staff, as the incident had occurred within the court premises, leaving everyone in a state of shock and causing public disorder.
The assassination of Chintso has exposed the dark underbelly of taxi industry rivalries and the alleged involvement of criminal gangs in orchestrating acts . The denial of bail for Matthews and her co-accused marks a significant step in the pursuit of justice for Chintso and sends a clear message that such brazen acts will not be tolerated.
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