The plot thickens as a 29-year-old man pleads guilty to killing KwaZulu-Natal former MPL Zibuse Mlaba and implicates a Mlaba family member at the Camperdown Regional Court on Thursday morning.
Fortune Dlamini from Georgedale in Mpumalanga, told this court through his lawyer Mfuneko Jwili that he received R130 000 to kill the former chief of KwaXimba Zibuse from a Mlaba family member whom we cannot name as he has not appeared in court.
Mlaba was gunned down in October 2021 at Wareing's Shopping Centre, outside his office.
Zibuse was also a deputy chairperson of the ANC in KZN when former president Jacob Zuma was the chairperson.
Dlamini said he became close with this family member in 2019 when he was renting an apartment next to their house. In the same year, he assisted the family in selling land sites or plots of land situated in the Lion Park area in Pietermaritzburg.
He said in 2021 in September he received a call from this relative asking him to accompany them to Hillcrest.
“We met at a BP filling station along the N3 National road. The relative was with Thobani Buthelezi who is now deceased. From there I drove his car to Hillcrest,” Dlamini explained.
He said while driving the relative asked him about Mncedisi Gwala and Nhlanhla Hlongwa. Hlongwa and Gwala are relatives. The relative requested Dlamini to set up a meeting with Hlongwa and Gwala.
“Gwala had told this family member that he is a hitman,” Dlamini said.
In the meeting held in the Mlaba relative’s house, Dlamini, Hlongwa, Gwala, and Khanyisani Dlamini were told by this relative that he wanted Zibuse dead. Additionally, the family members agreed to pay them R130 000 to kill Zibuse.
Dlamini said he searched for Zibuse’s photo on Google and the family member confirmed that it was him.
When the trio could not find Zibuse the relative gave Dlamini money to pay for an accommodation in PMB to sleep over.
Two rooms were booked by Dlamini at Alexis Guest House and R550.00 was paid per night.
The stay was extended as Hlongwa and Gwala could not find Zibuse. Dlamini said he sent them R1500.00 via cash send and on the third day he sent them R2000 as they still could not locate Zibuse.
On the fourth day 21 October 2021, Gwala alerted Dlamini that he found Zibuse, shot and killed him.
“Following that the family member gave me R130 000 as per agreement. I took R10 000 which I spent for food and accommodation in PMB before the killing,” he said.
Dlamini said he met with Gwala at Gateway and gave him R120,000. He said at some stage after the murder this family member offered to buy the guns used to kill Zibuse for R10 000 each.
Gwala and Khanyisani were each given money in exchange for their firearms.
When Gwala was arrested for unlawful possession of unlicensed firearms, Dlamini said he learned that at the murder scene of Zibuse police collected DNA.
“The family member instructed me to arrange a hitman to kill Gwala,” Dlamini added.
Jwili said since the arrest of his client on September 29, 2024, he immediately confessed and cooperated with the police.
“When the accused appeared in the Magistrates court he did not waste the court’s time and state resources by bringing a bail application,” Jwili added.
He said his client intended to plead guilty from the day he was arrested. Jwili proposed 18 years imprisonment for his client. The State prosecutor advocate Sanele Ntombela said the Mlaba family was approached about this plea on Monday and it was agreed on 18 years imprisonment for Dlamini.
Ntombela said Dlamini was going to be a State witness in the trial of Nhlanhla Lungelo Hlongwa and Mthobisi Tsebang Dubazana.
The court sentenced Dlamini to 18 years imprisonment.