UWC student’s lawyer wants accused’s mental health to be assessed

UWC student Ntembeko Myalo provisionally abandoned his bail application at the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

UWC student Ntembeko Myalo provisionally abandoned his bail application at the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Published Nov 20, 2023

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The legal aid lawyer of UWC student Ntembeko Myalo, who is accused of attempting to kill his wife, a Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) student, wants him to undergo a mental health assessment.

This was heard at the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Monday morning where the 32-year-old made his second appearance on an attempted murder charge.

According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila, Myalo provisionally abandoned his bail application, reserving his right to apply for it at a later stage.

Myalo’s legal representative also requested that the court refer his client to a district surgeon as further medical issues had arisen.

The case has been postponed to November 27.

A mob of alleged students had beaten Myalo on November 11, a few minutes after he was seen stabbing his spouse multiple times at the South Point The Orchard student accommodation in Belhar.

The family of the 26-year-old woman has requested privacy while their daughter recovers.

UWC has since suspended Myalo from campus and all residences associated with the university as it was believed that he was a “danger to fellow students”.

The Student Representative Council (SRC) welcomed Myalo’s decision to provisionally abandon his bail application.

“As a student body that vehemently and firmly stands against the oppression of women, more especially those who are students, we cannot sit by and allow for such an individual to be released into our community. We call upon the National Prosecuting Authority to oppose bail when this barbaric criminal applies for bail in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court,” the SRC said.

Cape Times