150623. Cape Town. A CCID officer walks past Beer House in Long street.Police are investigating the murder of a man at a popular bar on Long Street. The victim, a 33 year old doorman, was stabbed to death at the Beerhouse on Long on Saturday night. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus 150623. Cape Town. A CCID officer walks past Beer House in Long street.Police are investigating the murder of a man at a popular bar on Long Street. The victim, a 33 year old doorman, was stabbed to death at the Beerhouse on Long on Saturday night. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus
Cape Town - Three men arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of Beerhouse doorman Joe Kanyona has been charged with premeditated murder.
Ubaid van der Bergh, 20, from Zonnebloem, Toufiq Essa, 21, from Woodstock and Nasbie Edwards, 27, from Ruyterwacht made their first appearance in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Kanyona, 32, a doorman for the popular drinking spot in Long Street, died on June 20 after he was attacked.
Van der Bergh and Essa were arrested on Thursday while Edwards handed himself over to police on Saturday.
The State will argue that the murder was premeditated.
Prosecutor Dail Andrews said: “Statements were made to the effect that the death of the deceased was planned.”
Andrews told the court that the plan was for one of the men to stab the bouncer while the others would have to “draw blood”.
He said that the men would each received R1 000 after the stabbing.
He said a “certain contact” had to be made and they had to stab the bouncer.
“The murder weapon was found at the scene, lodged in the body of the deceased.”
The State will be opposing bail for the three men, Andrews added.
There was also some discussion in court about where the men were to be held in custody.
Since their arrest, they had been held at different police stations.
Mahdney Arnold, appearing for Essa and Edwards, said that his clients had requested they be moved from the Cape Town Central police station, in a direct counter to the State’s suggestion.
He said Essa said he had been threatened and assaulted by police who told him to sign a statement.
“He doesn’t want to go to Cape Town; he wants to be held at Pollsmoor,” Arnold said.
The court heard that Edwards handed himself over to police and had been kept at Mowbray police station since his arrest.
Arnold insisted that the request made no sense as the State only wanted to keep his clients at the police station where they could have control over them and talk to them without their attorneys present.
Magistrate Joe Magele postponed the matter to July 23 and ordered that the men be kept at Pollsmoor Prison.
Kanyona’s stabbing had sparked fears and debate about allegations of racketeering and the payment of monthly “protection fees” by club owners.
It had also galvanised business owners to become more vocal and proactive in tackling crime in the busy Long Street, with a community meeting between the police and city centre businesspeople held last week.
natasha.prince@inl.co.za
Cape Argus