A large number of women picketed outside the Louis Trichardt Magistrate’s Court on Friday, to oppose a bail application by Themba Skosana (27), who stands accused of killing the 21-year-old Aluwani Phale.

A fortnight ago, the young woman's lifeless body was discovered with a wound to the head in a swimming pool at the residential area of the Makhado Air Force base, locally known as Braambos. The police's investigations led to the arrest of her boyfriend, Sikosana, who was last seen with the deceased. Themba is not an employee of the South African National Defence Force and is said to have visited his older brother at Braambos.

The chairperson of the Madombidzha-Tshiozwi Women's Forum, Ms Elisa Tambani, said they would oppose bail by all means. “We have had enough of endless, brutal and senseless murders within our communities,” she added. “Our young ones do not deserve to die like rats.”

The chairperson of Tshilwavhusiku Community Policing Forum, Mr John Sadiki, told Limpopo Mirror that he had joined the women’s forum’s peaceful march to raise his voice that the killer should not be given bail. “We decided to march to showcase to society that we say no to the killing of women. We went there to make a statement that all killers belong in prison, but we abide by the law, which dictates that one remains innocent until proven otherwise by a court of law,” he added.

The case was postponed to 5 June. The result of the post mortem examination will then be made available.