Durban — The matter against a man who had been previously suspected to be linked to a mass shooting where seven people died and now stands accused of five murders has been adjourned to July in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court.
Comfort Ngubo, 22, is alleged to have shot and killed Sibonelo Shezi, Siboniso Vilakazi, Sipho Zikho, Siphumelele Makaza, and Sibonelo Mthethwa in Clermont in May last year.
He appeared in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, where the case was adjourned for further investigation. This was after he had been refused bail in the matter in April.
He is also charged with the possession of a firearm without a license, specifically, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol as well as 17 rounds of 9mm parabellum-type live ammunition. It is alleged that he was found with these in Kloof on August 2 last year.
Ngubo was arrested by police at the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court for the alleged murders soon after he had charges withdrawn against him in a case where he was charged with being found in possession of a 9mm pistol as well as 17 rounds of live ammunition.
He was charged along with two others in this case, Njabulo Mchunu and Sphamandla Hadebe.
The three in this matter, while charged with possession of firearms and ammunition, had been suspected to be linked to a mass shooting that happened in Savannah Park.
They had the charges against them provisionally withdrawn as the SAPS continued with their investigation.
Ngubo and Mchunu had been out on R8 000 bail, and Hadebe, who was shot and killed just days after they were granted bail last year, had been released on R10 000 bail.
Hadebe was allegedly gunned down by men who arrived at a house in Wyebank in a white Ford double cab with a police registration plate suspected to be fake.
Meanwhile, Samkelo Zondi, who also remains behind bars after being denied bail last year, charged in relation to a shooting that happened outside the Pinetown police station, was to appear in the regional court of the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court in June.
Zondi, a taxi owner, faces a murder charge as well as attempted murder. He was arrested for the October shooting while in the dock charged with other murders, where he was out on bail.
It is alleged that in October, the deceased in the matter had been with other occupants in a blue car parked outside the Pinetown police station.
The men were eating lunch inside the car when a grey Mercedes-Benz parked opposite them, and two gunmen alighted and opened fire.
Further, one of the occupants, Andile Khuzwayo, managed to get out of the vehicle while another occupant inside returned fire.
It is alleged by the State that Khuzwayo noticed that Zondi was the driver of the grey Mercedes-Benz.
Zondi also faces three other counts of being found with ammunition as well as a prohibited firearm.
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