Angry demonstrators were baying for Bishop Joseph Ramafamba’s blood during his fourth appearance for a bail application on Wednesday last week. The bishop of the Holiness Apostolic Church is facing charges of ritual murder, armed robbery and attempted murder, following the much-publicized Maanda Sendedza – Nyelisani Sidimela case.

The bail application could not be heard because the bishop’s legal representative asked the magistrate to recuse himself from the application. He anticipated that the magistrate could be biased because he had already presided over the bail application of the bishop’s accomplice, Mukondeleli Phosha, which had been denied by the same court. The bishop’s legal representative further argued that the previous decision to turn down Phosha’s bail application could have an influence on the decision that the magistrate could take when hearing the application of the bishop.

He requested the court to appoint a magistrate from somewhere else to hear the bail application. The magistrate then recused himself from the bishop’s bail application and another bail application will be heard as soon as another magistrate, who is not locally based, is available. Another accomplice, Shumani Dzebu, is also in custody in the same case.

The bail application was delayed for approximately two hours when the magistrate demanded that the chains on the legs of the bishop be removed so that he could go to the dock a ‘free man’. Members of the SAPS had to travel to Matatshe prison to collect the keys to unchain the bishop.

As usual, the bishop looked calm, but exhausted, while wearing his pair of khaki trousers, striped black and white shirt and cream white lumber jacket. His trade marks, the grey hair and long beard, gave him the same physical appearance which he is known for.

The South African National Civic Organization (Sanco), Makonde Royal Council, Vhembe Pastor’s Forum (VPF) and the Vhembe Traditional Health Practitioners (VTHP) handed a memorandum, opposing the bail application of the bishop, to the Court House Head, Ailwei Mudau, shortly before the formal court proceedings started. Among their grievances, they indicated that the other three known ritual killers of Makonde village, should be arrested and tried as a matter of urgency. They also demanded that the case should never be referred to the High Court before Nyelisani Sidimela has recovered so that she can testify against the human eaters who sliced off her lips.

“We don’t have powers to stop the case from going to the High Court because the only person who can take such a decision is the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) after the conclusion of formal investigations. Such an application needs to be supported by relevant documentation. The law will obviously take its course but we humbly request you to be patient, although we know that you are angry,” said Mudau, when responding to the memorandum.