Philippi families demand justice as accused abandon bail in mass-murder case

The anguish of families who lost loved ones in the Philippi East massacre was met with a brief moment of relief on Thursday, when three of the five accused abandoned their bail applications at the Athlone Magistrate’s Court. For the grieving relatives, this decision was more than a legal step, it was a small measure of acknowledgment in their long struggle for justice.

The victims, all men who had left their homes in the Eastern Cape in search of work, were murdered in a shocking attack earlier this month. Their bodies were discovered at a home on Road 53 in Better Life, Philippi East, where they had been shot and set alight.

The accused, 18-year-old Sinothando Songca, 22-year-old Kuhle Webu, 21-year-old Asavela Tshaya and two minors aged 16 and 17, face seven counts of murder, arson and defeating the administration of justice. Investigators say the arrests were made following a coordinated operation days after the killings.

In court, relatives of the victims, many of whom had travelled from the Eastern Cape, said they were tired of watching communities terrorised by senseless violence. “We don’t want bail for these people,” one family member said outside court, their voice breaking as others nodded in agreement.

The case has reignited public anger over recurring violent crime in Cape Town’s townships, where shootings and gang-related attacks remain a grim part of daily life. Residents have called for a stronger police presence and more visible accountability in how such cases are handled.

While the accused will remain in custody, one of the juveniles held at Pollsmoor’s juvenile section and another in a place of safety, the families of the victims continue to wait for closure. Their hope now rests on a fair and swift trial that not only punishes those responsible but also restores a measure of peace to a community haunted by loss.