Bail denied for man accused of killing TUT student
Sizwe Nkululeko Yende is accused of strangling Botshelo Mabua after a verbal argument.
A 31-year-old man, Sizwe Nkululeko Yende, was denied bail by the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court in connection with the alleged murder of Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) student Botshelo Mabua. Yende is accused of killing Mabua, a geomatics student, on 25 September 2026 at her parents’ home in Rockville, Soweto. The state alleges that Yende pushed Mabua during a verbal altercation, causing her to hit her head, and then strangled her.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Magaboke Mohlatlole stated that the court rejected Yende’s bail application, finding his version of events contradicted the post-mortem report. The post-mortem identified manual strangulation as the cause of death, while Yende claimed Mabua fell and hit her head. Mabua was found dead at the scene by emergency personnel.
The court postponed the case to 12 November 2026 for the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide on the trial venue. Yende remains in custody as investigations are complete. The NPA highlighted gender-based violence as a prosecutorial priority. The TUT Geomatics Student Society mourned Mabua, who was expected to graduate in 2027, and spoke out against gender-based violence.
Why it mattersSizwe Nkululeko Yende will remain in custody while facing charges for the alleged murder of TUT student Botshelo Mabua.