The cousin of slain ANC veteran Zibuse Mlaba, who allegedly paid R130 000 for his hit in 2021, intends to apply for bail in the murder case of a hitman he had allegedly sent to kill Mlaba. 

The 63-year-old Duncan Patrick Mzamo Mlaba, a former regent chief of the KwaXimba region of Camperdown, is accused of sending Mncedisi Gwala to murder Mlaba.

He allegedly murdered Gwala in 2022 after discovering that police had collected DNA at the murder scene.

On October 21, 2021, Mlaba was shot dead in front of his Wareing Shopping Centre office. Fortune Dlamini, one of the hitmen who killed him, just entered a guilty plea, revealed the plan to kill Mlaba, and named Mzamo as a conspirator.

Duncan, also known as Mzamo, would be applying for bail in Gwala’s murder case at Mlazi Magistrate’s Court on May 9.

He was first charged with the murder of his cousin, Mlaba, and later charged with that of Gwala. 

When he made his first appearance at Mlazi Magistrate’s Court, his attorney, Arvina Harricharan, told the court that they would make representations to the State to consolidate both the murders of Gwala and Mlaba. 

Harricharan said that, depending on the outcome, they would then apply for bail in the Gwala matter. Additionally, in the Mlaba matter, Mzamo abandoned bail at the Camperdown Magistrate’s Court. 

On Friday, he joined his co-accused Mthobisi Tsebang, Dubazana, 30, and Nhlanhla Lungelo Hlongwa, 30, at the Camperdown Regional Court for the murder of Mlaba.

The State senior prosecutor advocate Elvis Gcweka told the court that Dubazana and Hlongwa were supposed to have their pre-trial conference today before Mzamo was added.

In asking for a postponement, Gcweka told the court that Mzamo has a pending matter, which relates to Mlaba’s murder. 

“The intention is to indict them (all three accused) to the High Court. We are hoping that by June, all the other issues will be resolved,” Gcweka said. 

The matter was then postponed to June 2025. Although the Mlaba family is divided, with some members supporting Mzamo and others supporting Mlaba’s children (Zibuse), the court was packed with Mlaba supporters. Outside the court, a small group of Mzamo supporters could be spotted.

Across the street from the Camperdown court, the family had laid down a huge banner with the picture of Mlaba, written ‘Justice 4 Mthwazi’. Mthwazi is a nickname that Mlaba was called in his youthful years. 

The former premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Sihle Zikalala, had described Mlaba as a peacemaker and a man who played a crucial role in quelling tensions at the height of political violence in the province. Mlaba had also served as an MPL and the provincial chairperson of the ANC while former president Jacob Zuma was the chairperson. 

nomonde.zondi@inl.co.zae3

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