THE Port Durnford man accused of murdering his girlfriend has been denied bail despite his claim that he is being abused in jail.
‘I am physically abused in jail every day and fear for my life,’ said Sifiso Thulani Gumede (49) in a highly emotional speech during his bail application at eSikhawini Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday morning.
He also said his 10-year-old daughter was all alone at home and she was on chronic medication.
‘I need to be with her,’ said Gumede.
Gumede was charged with killing his 40-year-old girlfriend earlier this month.
He was arrested by eSikhawini police after human remains were found on fire in a forest near his home.
It is believed he initially buried the body in a shallow grave before moving it into the field in a wheelbarrow.
Community members chanted outside the court building, imploring the magistrate not to grant Gumede bail.
Numerous past convictions surfaced during the court proceedings.
It was revealed that he had been sentenced previously for two house break-ins in 1991 and 1992.
The two incidents happened shortly after he was released from prison after completing a long sentence for murder. The state also disclosed that Gumede spent six years behind bars for a culpable homicide case in 1996.
The matter was postponed to 23 September.
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