KZN murder suspect denies purchasing hitman's weapons in political assassination case

The man accused of orchestrating the assassination of former KwaZulu-Natal legislature member Zibuse Mlaba has denied purchasing the firearms used in the killing from the alleged hitmen he hired.

The mastermind, Duncan Mzamo Mlaba, 63, is charged with the murders of his cousin Zibuse and that of the hitman from Mlazi, Mncedisi Gwala.

Mzamo is alleged to have hired Gwala to kill his cousin in October 2021. After he allegedly discovered that police had collected DNA evidence from Zibuse's murder scene, he allegedly killed Gwala in February 2022 to eliminate evidence that could implicate him.

Zibuse was a chief in the KwaXimba area of Camperdown and served as the provincial ANC deputy chairperson. Currently, Mzamo is applying for bail at Mlazi Magistrates Court for the murder of his alleged hitman, Gwala. He is also applying for bail at Camperdown Magistrates' Court for the murder of his cousin.

During court proceedings at Mlazi court, Mzamo told the court that he never bought the murder weapons from hitmen who allegedly killed his cousin. He said the allegations that he bought two guns for R10 000 each to destroy them were lies. 

He distanced himself from all the charges against him, which include conspiracy to commit murder and defeating the ends of justice. 

State prosecutor advocate Sanele Ntombela asked what he would say if one of his co-accused in Zibuse’s case, Nhlanhla Hlongwa, were to come and say he was present when he planned to kill his cousin. 

“Firstly, Hlongwa spoke before the investigating officer and said he did not know me. He was asked by my attorney at the time,” Mzamo said. 

He further explained that Hlongwa asked to see his lawyers, and he made a statement saying that the police tubed him, and covered him with a prison blanket and forced him to agree that he knew him and that he was there when Mzamo conspired to kill Zibuse. Mzamo said Hlongwa even made a statement about that to his lawyers.

“Was Hlongwa’s attorney, Mr Singh, present when he made the statement?” Ntombela asked. 

Mzamo replied by saying only he and his lawyers were present. Further revealing that Hlongwa was not happy with his lawyer at the time. 

Mzamo further told the police that when the Political Killings Task team arrested him on April 4, 2025, he was not assaulted or threatened. However, he later told the court that one of the officers belonging to the PKTT smooth-talked him into pleading guilty to killing his cousin. 

“Lieutenant Colonel Fynn, told me to plead guilty because if I did not, I would receive a life sentence,” Mzamo said. 

Ntombela asked him why he was only revealing this information now. Mzamo told him that he had forgotten certain things. Furthermore, the State has accused him of exaggerating his assets, failing to mention the two minor children he claims to have. 

“I think it was a mistake; they forgot to include their birth certificates,” he replied 

In his defence, he further submitted that his lawyers may have forgotten to mention the names of his children when they prepared his affidavit. 

“The reason the children are not included is that you do not financially support them. If they are your children,” Ntombela said. 

The bail application is set to proceed in November.

nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za