KEY POINTS
- A legal aid attorney’s withdrawal delayed the pre-trial conference for Mlaba’s murder case.
- Accused individuals remain in custody, with concerns for their safety.
- A separate ANC-related murder case was also delayed due to a witness’s family bereavement.
The pre-trial conference for three men accused of murdering former KwaZulu-Natal Member of Parliament and KwaXimba Chief Zibuse Mlaba has been delayed.
The postponement came after the legal aid attorney representing two of the accused withdrew from the case.
Mlaba was gunned down outside his office at Wareing Shopping Centre on October 21, 2021.
The three men charged with his murder—Mthobisi Tsebang Dubazana, 30, Nhlanhla Lungelo Hlongwa, 30, and Fortune Dlamini, 29—appeared in the Camperdown Regional Court on Thursday.
However, the hearing was stalled after their legal representative informed the court he was stepping down and had arranged for the matter to be transferred to Judicare.
According to IOL, the attorney requested a three-week postponement to allow time for new legal representation.
Senior prosecutor Advocate Elvis Gcweka confirmed the State had agreed to reschedule the conference until the end of the month.
Accused remain in custody
Dubazana, who had previously applied for bail, was denied release by the Camperdown Magistrate’s Court. Meanwhile, Hlongwa and Dlamini abandoned their bail applications, citing concerns for their safety.
It remains uncertain whether the pre-trial conference will proceed on the newly scheduled date.
Meanwhile, another politically linked murder case in Durban faced delays this week.
The Durban High Court had to reschedule the trial of five men accused of killing ANC ward candidate Siyabonga Mkhize and activist Mzukisi Nyanga due to the death of a state witness’s family member.
Mkhize and Nyanga were shot and killed in October 2021 in the lead-up to the local government elections.
The killings were reportedly linked to factional tensions within Ward 101 of the ANC.
Political tensions behind killings
According to testimony earlier this week, the murders were a result of internal conflicts between two ANC factions—Unity and Continuity (U&C) and Renewal Rebuilding Unity (RRU).
Mkhize and Nyanga were part of U&C, while four of the five accused belonged to RRU.
The accused in this case—Mzimuni Ngiba, Nkosinathi Emmanuel Ngcobo, Sandile Mzizi, Sifiso Vincent Mlondo, and Phathisakhe Ngiba—were arrested shortly after the killings.
Judge W. Harrison postponed the case, advising legal counsel to sort out any remaining procedural issues before the trial resumes.
He also emphasized the need to respect the rights of witnesses. Furthermore, he instructed the state to present a death certificate for the affected witness.
The court is set to reconvene on Friday, with proceedings starting at 9 a.m. to make up for lost time.
