Bail denied for cop linked to Zarah hijacking case
SUSPENDED police officer, Constable Minenhle Makhaye, 27, was denied bail after a three-hour long bail ruling by Magistrate Ashwin Singh in the Durban Magistrate’s Court earlier today.
Singh, who warned Makhaye to “stop eyeballing the investigating officer” Sivan Naidoo, while he was handing down his ruling, said Makhaye gave contradicting evidence during his bail application.
Makhaye was found in possession of a bank card belonging to hijack victim Shaida Ramsamy. Her daughter, Zarah, 11, was killed after hijackers ran over her as they made their getaway in Ramsamy’s Toyota Fortuner in Malvern on September 11.
“The bank card belonging to Mrs Ramsamy, which the applicant (Makhaye) was found in possession of, emanated from a hijacking where a minor was killed. The card remained in his possession for three weeks. He took no proactive action to hand the card to the investigating team or to his commander at the Cato Manor police station," said Singh.
“He contradicted his own evidence about the red box with bank cards found in his possession upon his arrest. He was arrested by Marshall Security members during the 2021 looting, and was found to be drunk out of his mind while in full police uniform. He was taken to Pinetown police station and when security members went to enquire about his arrest, they were told there was no police officer arrested.
“The fact that the office housing documents pertaining to him was burnt, and the offices of three detectives at the police station were broken into, does not amount to speculation or coincidence. There is a high chance that he was involved in it."
Lead investigator, Sivan Naidoo, said the team of investigators from the Hawks would need about two to three months to finalise their investigation.
Makhaye is due back in court in December.