Durban — An alleged retaliation to an act of crime has seen two eThekwini Municipality employees, two e-hailing drivers, an ADT Security employee and a street vendor charged with kidnapping, murder and defeating the ends of justice.
Sihle Mliba, Sphamandla Dlamini, Nkosinathi Phungula, Mxolisi Shezi and Phakamani Mtolo were each granted R5 000 bail in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
The five, all from Wyebank, are alleged to have kidnapped Aphelele Bushman and assaulted him, which resulted in his death, and then they dumped his body in a bush in Molweni last month.
The State alleges that e-hailing driver Dlamini and a permanent employee of eThekwini Municipality had received a request for a ride from Wyebank to Durban. When he arrived two men jumped into the car; one seated behind Dlamini and the other on the passenger front seat.
A short distance later the passenger behind Dlamini allegedly grabbed him from behind by the neck and Dlamini had a gun pointed to his head, forcing him to stop. Dlamini was allegedly forced to sit on the floor of the car with one of the men driving. In KwaDabeka two more men got in. Dlamini was dumped on Lwandle Drive near Dumisani Makhaye Highway. He phoned his friend, also an e-hailing driver. The two went to report the hijacking to the Pinetown SAPS.
The following day Dlamini was with the same friend, preparing to go and fetch his vehicle from the police which had been recovered on the day of the theft. This was after his friend received a request for a ride on his e-hailing app from a person called Kwanele, whom he believed was the same person who lured him to the hijacking. Dlamini is alleged to have rallied his friends and they set out to the location of the request, where they found three people. One of them was Bushman. The trio were questioned about the hijacked car and the keys’ whereabouts.
“At first they denied knowing about it, but after being assaulted they showed them the car keys. Bushman was assaulted and he died. The accused took the body and dumped it,” alleges the State.
Advocate TJ Nene, during the bail bid for the five, said Mliba was employed as a driver at eThekwini Municipality since 2004; Phungula was also an e-hailing driver; Shezi is a street vendor and Mtolo an armed response security guard. Nene said all his clients had minor children and their further incarceration would see their dependants suffer.
“We don’t condone taking the law into your own hands, but these are not hardened criminals.”
Magistrate Wendalynn Robinson said: “I’m inclined to grant bail against my better judgement.
Daily News