A 63-year-old man is facing serious murder charges in a complex case involving political assassination.

Mzamo Duncan Patrick Mlaba is currently applying for bail at Mlazi Magistrates’ Court, charged with the murder of Mncedisi Gwala, an alleged hitman killed in February 2022.

According to prosecutors, Mlaba had previously hired Gwala to assassinate his own cousin, Zibuse Mlaba, who was killed on October 21, 2021.

Zibuse was a prominent figure in KwaZulu-Natal – serving as the ANC’s deputy chairperson in the province, a member of the KZN legislature, and chief of the KwaXimba area in Camperdown. In court, Mzamo has categorically denied the allegations, claiming he never knew Gwala and has “never been to Mlazi township” in his life.

In an attempt to cover his tracks, Mzamo is alleged to have instructed Fortune Dlamini to get people who will kill Gwala. This is after he learned that DNA evidence was collected by the police at Zibuse’s crime scene.

During court proceedings on Tuesday, Mzamo told the Mlazi court that he does not know anything about the murder of Gwala. 

“I don’t know Mncedisi and I have never been to Mlazi,” he said. 

Additionally, Mzamo told the court that he hopes it will see that the whole case about him killing Gwala is a made-up story. “It’s all lies and conspiracy,” he stated. 

He said his co-accused, Nhlanhla Hlongwa, told him that the people who know about Gwala’s murder are his uncle and a Mr Ngubane. 

Mzamo further said Hlongwa told him that what he was arrested for does not exist. Moreover, he told the court that last week his house in Pietermaritzburg was broken into and the intruders stole the batteries of his two vehicles and the ammunition in his safe. 

“I think they thought they would find my guns in the safe, but found ammunition,” he said. 

He said his four guns, an AK-47, DM4 rifle, 308 rifle, and Canik Glock 9mm have since been taken by the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), who had arrested him earlier this year. Mzamo said all his guns are licensed. 

According to Dlamini – who pleaded guilty to the murder – he said Mzamo hired him, Gwala, Hlongwa, and Mthobisi Dubazana to kill Zibuse.

He said Mzamo paid R130 000 for the hit and later bought the firearms used to kill Zibuse for R10 000 each. After Dlamini’s plea, Mzamo was arrested by the PKTT for Zibuse’s murder and later on charged for Gwala’s murder. 

Dlamini was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty. On Friday last week, the Camperdown Regional Court had to postpone serving Dubazana, Hlongwa, and Mzamo with indictments. 

The reason for the postponement was to allow Mzamo to finalise his bail application. He is also applying for bail at Camperdown Magistrates Court for Zibuse’s murder. The National Prosecuting Authority refused to consolidate both cases due to issues of jurisdiction. 

nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za

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