Teen charged with 9 counts of murder abandons bail

A teenager linked to a recent mass shooting in Philippi East, in Cape Town, has abandoned his bail bid.

Bheki Manxiwa is accused of being one of three gunmen who stormed a tavern in Marikana informal settlement last month, killing nine people.

The owner of the establishment was also killed in the alleged extortion-related hit.

The 19-year-old made a brief appearance in the Athlone Magistrates Court on Monday.

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The court heard that Manxiwa will not be applying for bail at this stage after lengthy consultations with his court-appointed lawyer.

Instead, he will remain in custody until his next court appearance on 16 April 2026.

It's the State’s case that Manxiwa and two other suspects planned the attack on 17 January 2026.

Prosecutors said the trio then went to the tavern and robbed patrons of their cell phones and cash, before shooting them.

Police are still searching for two other suspects linked to the attack.