Men who allegedly killed former KZN MPL abandon bail fearing for their lives

Two of the three men accused of killing former ANC member of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislature and chief Zibuse Mlaba of KwaXimba, abandoned bail this week and said they feared for their lives.

Mlaba who was once the deputy provincial chairperson of the ANC under former president Jacob Zuma, was shot and killed in October 2021 at Wareing's Shopping Centre, outside his office.

The accused men Nhlanhla Lungelo Hlongwa (30) from Pietermaritzburg in Masukwana informal settlement, and Fortune Dlamini (29) from Georgedale in Mpumalanga, told Camperdown Magistrates Court that they would no longer be applying for bail as they feared for their lives.

The first accused, Mthobisi Tsebang Dubazana (30) from uMlazi, applied for bail, but it was denied. The men were arrested earlier this year.

State prosecutor advocate Nokulunga Ngcobo asked the court to postpone the matter until November so it could go to the Regional Court.

“The investigations are complete,” she said.

Presiding officer Magistrate S.B Ngcobo granted the postponement. The courtroom was packed with Mlaba family members, and the police presence was heavy.

A reliable source told Sunday Tribune that two men who were suspected shooters were mysteriously killed before the National Political Task team, which investigates killings of traditional leaders and political killings took over the case. “Their killings remain questionable,” said the source.

Mlaba’s eldest daughter Thembeka Nsimbi who was in court with many other family members, said they were happy with the progress made by the police.

She said they want to know why their father was murdered and who was behind his murder.

“His death and how he was killed came as a shock because he had retired from politics and we feel that the work he was doing showed humanity,” she said.

Nsimbi said they also questioned the timing of the hit because her father had risked his life in the 80s, “That is where the confusion is, we want to know why, maybe there is a lot that we don’t know,” she added.

She said as a family they believed that the three accused were hired by someone because they were not from KwaXimba and she did not think they had any interest in her father.

Nsimbi said her father received threats before he was killed. “He said whoever would kill me (Mlaba) would be arrested,” she said.

Mandisa Mlaba, Mlaba's other daughter, said they were waiting to see how the case would unfold.

“We are ready to hear what the reason was, why it happened that way for us to get closure,” she said.

She said their healing as a family was in progress. Mandisa said they hoped that the police would arrest the mastermind and that the person be convicted.

“We are confident that the three accused before the court would be prosecuted because the police are saying they have everything,” said Mandisa.