The man who allegedly paid R130 000 for the assassination of ANC veteran Zibuse Mlaba, has been charged again for conspiracy to commit murder and murder of the hitman he hired to kill Mlaba.
The accused, Duncan Patrick Mzamo Mlaba is the cousin of Mlaba who was gunned down in Cato Ridge at Wareing's Shopping Centre, outside his office on October 21, 2021. Duncan is mainly known as Mzamo. On Friday he made his first appearance at uMlazi Magistrates Court for the murder of Mncedisi Gwala.
According to the plea of Fortune Dlamini - who was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment by the Camperdown Regional court for the murder of Mlaba (Zibuse) - they worked together with Mzamo and Gwala to kill Mlaba.
Mlaba was once the provincial deputy chairperson of the ANC when former president Jacob Zuma was the chairperson.
Dlamini said Gwala was a hitman and identified him as the shooter who ended the life of former KZN MPL Mlaba. Mlaba was also a former chief of KwaXimba in Camperdown.
He said once they learned that the police collected DNA at the crime scene where Mlaba was killed, Mzamo instructed him to arrange for hitmen to kill Gwala.
The State alleges that in January and February 2022 at or near KwaNyamazane, and other places Mzamo conspired with Dlamini and other people to kill Gwala.
“In or about February 08, 2022, at Emhlabeni informal settlement the accused, Mzamo, unlawfully and intentionally killed Gwala by shooting him with a firearm,” the State said.
Mzamo’s lawyer Arvina Harricharan told the court that her client would not be applying for bail at this stage.
“We are not abandoning bail but we are not applying for it until we make the representations to the State,” she said.
Harricharan said she would be making representations to the State. She intends to combine the two cases. She said depending on the outcome of the representations they would indicate the way forward on April 22, when Mzamo is expected back in court.
Mzamo told Mlaba's family members who had come to support him, that he was being oppressed and that only one side was being looked at.
On Monday, Mzamo is expected to apply for bail for the assassination of his cousin Mlaba, at Camperdown Magistrates Court.
Furthermore, Mzamo’s co-accused in the Mlaba murder, Mthobisi Tsebang Dubazana (30), and Nhlanhla Lungelo Hlongwa (30) are expected to appear at the Camperdown Regional Court in May for their pre-trial.
The ANC in the province said it commends the law enforcement agencies who worked tirelessly to ensure that those involved in Mlaba’s murder were tracked down and brought to book.
“The shooting of Cde Mlaba was a heinous and cowardly act that sought to silence a dedicated servant of the people,” Fanle Sibisi, ANC provincial spokesperson said.