The family of slain Fatima Patel are outraged that her husband Rameez Patel was granted bail on Tuesday. The Polokwane businessman was granted a R250 000 bail following his arrest for the murder of his wife in April. His bail requirements are that he has to report to the Polokwane police station three times a day. Rameez has denied murdering Fatima however her relatives are extremely unhappy about it.

“We are still traumatised with regards to what happen. She was not just murdered but mutilated by Rameez, so yes we are very upset that bail was granted at mere R250 000, which is nothing compared to Fatima’s life,” said her cousin Tasneem Choonara.

The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) has also expressed its unhappiness with the ruling.

Twenty-nine-year-old Rameez was arrested shortly after his wife, Fatima, was shot and killed on April 10. The pathologist also found that she was strangled and brutally assaulted. News24 reports that investigating officer David Nkuna testified that Patel was a flight risk and that he has relatives in the UK and India. Fatima was beaten severely to the limit where her jaw was dislocated.

The 7th of July is the date for the next hearing. VOC (Najma Bibi Noor Mahomed)