Kholwani Prayman Ntanjana identified as alleged orchestrator of SARS advocate's attempted murder

Kholwani Prayman Ntanjana, the third suspect in the attempted murder case of SARS advocate Coreth Naudé SC, has been identified as the alleged orchestrator of the attack. 

The attack occurred on July 18, 2024, at the entrance of Premier Hotel in Umhlanga. 

At the time, Naudé was conducting a tax inquiry into Andile Mpisane, the son of the controversial Durban businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize.

She was shot in the neck, face, and shoulder, and had to undergo reconstructive surgery on her jaw.

According to Warrant Officer Praved Maharaj, the investigating officer, Ntanjana met with his co-accused, Siyanda Mbulwana and Mcebisi Runeyi — identified as the gunmen — both before and after the incident.

The affidavit of Maharaj, read to the Durban Magistrate's Court by prosecutor Seema Reddy, detailed the movements of the suspects.

It stated that the gunmen arrived at King Shaka International Airport from Cape Town on the morning of July 17. Following their arrival, the cellphones of Mbulwana, Runeyi, and Ntanjana all connected to a beach tower near Crescent in Umhlanga.

This location is an address that Ntanjana had previously provided to the Durban North police when opening a separate case.

The affidavit further revealed that Ntanjana then treated the pair to breakfast at a Florida Road restaurant before purchasing two firearm holsters and a knife for R1,700.

“I confirmed with the owner that the two holsters purchased were firearm holsters,” Maharaj explained. 

The officer stated that this information was obtained using Ntanjana's bank statement. Furthermore, he said that continued investigations following the arrest of Runeyi and Mbulwana in 2024 revealed consistent communication between the duo and two cellphone numbers registered to Ntanjana.

He added that upon first reviewing the numbers belonging to Ntanjana and examining his profile, he observed a resemblance to the man seen on CCTV footage, who was meeting with Mbulwana and Runeyi.

“I noticed the picture on the profile resembled the African male whom I had seen on the CCTV footage at McDonald's, going to meet with the two shooters before the shooting incident,” he said.

“From all the investigations and evidence gathered and information from Crime Intelligence, it became clear that this attempted murder of Naudé was orchestrated by Ntanjana.”  

Maharaj told the court that Ntanjana had previously been charged with cases primarily related to taxi violence, where victims were shot on public roads and in public areas, with offences committed brazenly using high-calibre weapons.

“This shows that the applicant and his co-perpetrators have no consideration for other members of the public. This is evident in this matter as there was a security guard present when the shooting occurred, and he had to flee for his life,” Maharaj said, urging the court to deny Ntanjana bail. 

Maharaj further stated that it would be difficult to trace Ntanjana if he were to get bail, as he has several addresses. 

“He is extremely evasive when it pertains to providing his addresses. Applicant has no fixed employment, and it will be easy to move out of his current abode.” 

He raised concerns about the safety of Naudé and said that if Ntanjana got bail, it would be easy for him to target her again and possibly eliminate her before trial. 

Meanwhile, Mbulwana and Runeyi made a brief appearance in the Durban High Court for their pre-trial conference on Thursday, and it was postponed to January 2026, as they await Ntanjana to join them. 

nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za