Five men to stand trial for contract killings of Durban metro officers and ANC Youth League secretary
Five men accused of being contract killers are scheduled to appear in the Durban High Court in early May for the 2020 murders of two Durban metro police officers and an ANC Youth League secretary.
The victims — Thamsanqa Gcabashe, Lindokuhle Madonsela, and Ndumiso Thusi — all lived in Ward 191 in Hammarsdale, Mpumalanga township.
Both Madonsela and Gcabashe were ANC members, with Gcabashe having been appointed secretary of the ANCYL in February 2020. Madonsela and Thusi were also metro police officers.
The accused — Fana Shabalala, Thulani Shozi, Zamokuhle Mnyandu, Sandile Msezane, and Ntando Blose — were allegedly hired to kill Madonsela. However, in a case of mistaken identity, they allegedly killed Gcabashe at his home on May 25, 2020.
Realising their error, they allegedly conspired to kill Madonsela. Fourteen days after Gcabashe’s murder, on June 9, 2020, Thusi arrived at Madonsela’s home in his silver Kia Rio to pick him up for work, parking outside to wait.
Immediately after Madonsela got into the Kia, a Toyota Etios pulled up alongside the stationary vehicle. Occupants of the Toyota opened fire on the Kia Rio, fatally wounding both Thusi and Madonsela.
According to the indictment, “Thusi died at the scene from a penetrating gunshot wound to the head. Madonsela also died from multiple gunshot wounds with multiple organ involvement.”
Prosecutors in court allege that Shozi’s role was to provide his co-accused and their accomplices with Madonsela’s movements, while Shabalala and the others were hired to pull the trigger.
The matter was postponed to May 7 to allow X Ntshulana, the new lawyer for Shabalala, Shozi, and Msezane, to receive the contents of the docket.
Siya Hlongwane represents Msezane and Blose. All the accused are out on bail except for Blose. The trial is expected to run from May 19 to June 19.
