The four Pakistani nationals charged with the brutal murders of two Komani street dwellers are in South Africa illegally as their asylum seeker permits had expired or did not exist at all, the Queenstown magistrate’s court heard earlier today.
Farman Mohammed, Rashid Mahmood, Adeel Rehman and Abdul Rehman, aged between 27 and 35, face murder charges after allegedly beating to death Vuyisile Homo, 31, and Siphelele Dastile, 27, and dumping their bodies in shallow graves on Sunday, August 14.
The duo was suspected of breaking into a hardware store in Komani Street.
In court today, Sgt Mthimkhulu Keva, the investigating officer, told the court that all four men had no valid permits. One of them had no permit at all while others had had permits but failed to renew them after they expired. The four blamed the home affairs office’s failures for their expired permits.
The court is hearing their formal bail application.
Read the full story in The Rep on Friday.
