Man accused of killing Likhona Fose granted bail

JOHANNESBURG - The man accused of the murder of 14-year-old Likhona Fose has been granted R5,000 bail at the Roodepoort Magistrates Court in Johannesburg.

Mnisi was arrested for the premeditated murder of the teen, after a witness told police she saw him with her on the day that she vanished.

However, due to the State’s lack of evidence, the court found that Mnisi could not be kept behind bars solely because of a previous breach of parole conditions.

Mnisi has a prior conviction of attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances and was found to have violated his parole conditions.

After the court heard that the man accused of murdering 14-year-old Likhona Fose had violated his parole conditions when he confessed to not being in Durban Deep on the day of her murder, the State began to argue for his bail denial on the basis that he could not be trusted to abide by the rules, should bail be granted.

However, the court found that apart from his parole violation, there was not enough evidence to keep him in custody.

Magistrate Delize Smith said: "And the court finds that the applicant has, on a balance of probability, shown that exceptional circumstances do exist why it would be in he interest of justice that he be released on bail."

The matter returns to court on Friday for further investigation.