Where are the real killers”: Bokgabo Poo’s father devastated after murderer fond not guilty

Editorial Team08/08/2023

55 2 minutes read

The Father of slain Ekurhuleni girl Bokgabo Poo, 4, had a tough time accepting the not-guilty judgement passed by the Pretoria High court sitting in Benoni asking a very pertinent question; “Where are the real killers if you’re saying that man is not guilty?”

Ntokozo Zikhali was charged with two counts of rape, abduction, dismembering a body, subverting the course of justice, and mutilating a corpse. He entered a not-guilty plea. Zikhali, who admitted to raping a nine-year-old child, is still being held in custody.

Bokgabo’s dismembered body was discovered in two different places in Wattville in October of last year, with some body parts still missing.

In blurry CCTV footage, she was last seen joyously skipping from a park close to her family’s home.

The limb of a toddler was discovered in a shallow grave the next day by a 63-year-old lady who was sweeping her garden. More body pieces were discovered around 800 metres distant in an area of open veld.

Judge Ian Cox on Monday acquitted Zikhali after earlier dismissing an application by the state to enter into evidence the statement made by a witness who was with the investigating officer when they collected Zikhali at the Boksburg police station after his arrest, according to Benoni City Times.

“In this matter, there is no evidence before the court from which a reasonable man acting cautiously would convict the accused on any of the counts 3-6. Hence the application for the discharge of the accused is granted in respect of those counts and the accused is found not guilty and is charged on counts 3-6,” Cox said.

The first two counts were withdrawn.

Last week, the court ruled that the evidence of Zikhali’s involvement in a pointing out process was inadmissible. Cox found that though the accused’s rights were read out to him during his arrest, he was satisfied police may not have adequately warned him that participating in a pointing out process was not obligatory

Reacting to the news of Zikhali’s acquittal, Poo’s heartbroken father Irvin Ndlovu questioned what the police were doing to catch his daughter’s killers.