Likhona Fose’s family welcomes Mnisi’s acquittal

Murdered Likhona Fose’s relatives have accepted the state’s decision to withdraw charges against 39-year-old Mduduzi Mnisi.

Prosecutors told the Roodepoort Magistrate Court that newly uncovered cellphone data shows that Mnisi was in Durban Deep when the teenager went missing at the end of May.

Four more witnesses have since also come forward to confirm that the 39-year-old parolee was in Daveyton at the time — strengthening his alibi and prompting the state to officially clear his name.

Mnisi had been out on R5 000 bail and was visibly emotional when he walked out of court a free man.

Fose’s family says it’s a bitter moment for them and maintain they never identified Mnisi as the suspect.

“As a family we are expecting anything, because the damage has already been done. Our child is gone and we’ll never get her back. We now want to know who’s behind it,” said Fose’s cousin, Mthobeli.

Mnisi was initially implicated by a former girlfriend, a claim NPA investigators later confirmed as false.

NPA spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane, says the decision to withdraw the charges against him was was fair in light of the developments.

“The decision to withdraw charges is therefore fair and responsible under these circumstances,” she explains.

She says detectives are actively pursuing new leads.

“At this stage, we urge community members to work with us in our attempts to find justice for the affected family,” Mjonondwane adds.

Expressing relief outside court, Mnisi told reporters that the accusations had turned his life upside down.

The teenager’s mutilated body was discovered in a veld in Durban Deep in early June — a day after she was reported missing.

Despite Mnisi’s acquittal, her family remains hopeful that the police will eventually find the person responsible for her brutal murder.