Durban — A witness in the murder of ANC councillor Minenhle Mkhize made startling revelations in the Durban High Court on Wednesday.
Mkhize was elected in the local government elections of 2021 as the eThekwini Municipality councillor for ward 103. He was gunned down in his home at Cliffdale, in January last year.
Mxolisi Gcabashe from KwaNyuswa, 33, and Ntokozo Ndlela, 30, from Ohlange in iNanda, 30, are facing charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, unlawful possession of a semi-automatic firearm and the unlawful possession of ammunition.
Gcabashe faces other charges that include theft, unlawful possession of firearms and unlawful possession of ammunition.
The fifth state witness told the court he was with Gcabashe on the day of the murder. The witness said Gcabashe had asked to be dropped off near Mkhize’s home.
“When we were in the car after dropping off Gcabashe, we heard shots and were all shocked,” said the witness.
He told the court that when Gcabashe came back, a gun fell on the ground. Gcabashe then picked up the gun. He then told the witness not say anything about what had happened.
The State further asked the witness to tell the court what Gcabashe had been wearing. Mkhize’s daughter Noluthando Malinga had previously told the court that they had seen a slender man wearing a top with stripes running away after the shooting.
The witness told the court that Mxolisi was wearing a jacket with a hoodie, which was grey on the arms and branded “Hemisphere”, and on the front it had a black zip. The witness told the court that the upper part of the jacket was black and around the stomach it was white.
State representative advocate Elvis Gcweka asked why the witness made two statements to the police about the murder. The witness said when he made the first statement last year, he was not entirely telling the truth because Gcabashe had asked him to not say anything.
“I was scared and shocked when I made the statement because Mxolisi had asked me not to say anything, and it was my first time being with the police in that manner,” said the witness.
He added that after he made the second statement this year, he had realised that his life was in danger as someone else had been killed instead of him.
“I wanted to tell the truth,” he said.
The witness added that he had been moving from place to place after he had learnt certain people were looking for him. Advocate Louis Barnard, representing both the accused, showed the court the jacket which Gcabashe was alleged to have worn on the day of the incident. Barnard told the witness that both his clients would deny what he told the court.
“He will deny that he was in possession of a firearm. He will also deny that he threatened you to not say anything,” said Barnard.
The witness said that what he told the court was the truth, and told Barnard that both the accused would be lying.
The case continues today (on Thursday).
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