23 June 2026
Bheki Manxiwa exits the courtroom during an appearance in January. Archive photo: Sandiso Phaliso
The investigation into the mass murder of nine people in Philippi East will be complete soon, the Athlone Magistrates’ Court heard on Tuesday.
The two accused, 20-year-old Nkcubeko Libala and 19-year-old Bheki Manxiwa, appeared virtually from Pollsmoor Prison. The state’ says the pair entered a shebeen in the Marikana informal settlement on 17 January, robbed patrons of cellphones and cash, then shot at the owner and customers.
A third suspect is still at large.
Nine people died and others were injured. Police believe the incident is linked to extortion.
The pair abandoned their bail applications earlier this year.
According to the prosecutor on Tuesday, one post-mortem is still outstanding before the investigation can be finalised.
The court also heard that in addition to the nine murder charges, a further three attempted murder charges have been added to the charge sheets.
Libala and Manxiwa appeared virtually. Both had shaven heads and appeared warmly dressed.
The case was postponed to 11 August, after which the trial is expected to get underway.
There has been several mass shootings in the Philippi area. The most recent incident was two weeks ago, where according to police, three people were shot dead in Lower Crossroads, Philippi East.
According to police spokesperson Andre Traut, “Three adult males were seated at a fruit and vegetable stall situated outside a residence in Ntloyiya Street when they came under attack. At approximately 7:05pm, three unidentified suspects approached the premises and opened fire on the victims before fleeing the scene.”
“All three victims were declared deceased at the scene”.
“The motive for the attack has yet to be determined and forms part of an ongoing investigation. No arrests had been made yet,” said Traut.
Community leaders and residents we spoke to have said they feel forgotten by the government and that their living conditions continue to deteriorate.
