Most wanted men released after charges were withdrawn

On By Karl

The province has dropped business robbery charges against Cape Town’s “most wanted man” Yanga ‘Bara’ Nyalara and released him.

The Brown Ranch resident had been behind bars for more than two years.

He was arrested on July 1, 2022, following 12 murders at Site B in Khayelitsha in 2021. Police later slapped him with six more murder charges following the mass shooting at Site C.

After his arrest, residents of Area C protested his release and said he was protecting them from criminals.

In August, Nyalara and co-defendant Wanda Tofile were acquitted due to conflicting testimony from the state’s only surviving witness.

On Tuesday, Nyalara appeared in the Cape Town District Court; where the state dropped charges against him of business robbery and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Nyalara’s lawyer, Phindile Vepile, said: “The case was heard in the District Court in Cape Town on 26 November 2024. It was in the trial phase. The prosecutor informed the court that the complainants in the matter were no longer cooperating with the State and requested more time to persuade them to cooperate.

“The court refused to give them additional time because the case could not be continued on November 11 for the same reason. As a result, the State withdrew the charges.”

Other defendants Thulani Rhatisa and Julius Ket were also sentenced to 11 and 7 years in prison for the same charges.

He is alleged to have robbed an MTN store at St George’s Mall in Cape Town on 30 June 2016. He was captured a few hundred meters from the scene.

In his statement, Nyalara said the state did not have an eyewitness who took him to the scene and he was not found to be in possession of a weapon or stolen property.

“The state claims that I was linked to the crime scene through touch DNA. “I will not accept these accusations.”

Nyalara had only been convicted once, in 2014, for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

He is currently facing a rape and kidnapping charge in Khayelitsha for which he was granted bail. The case dates back to 2017 and was linked to his DNA.