The main witness in the double murder and attempted murder case against former Mpumalanga agriculture, land reform and rural development MEC Mandla Msibi has also been arrested on two charges of murder.
Lifa Nkosi, 42, a ward 45 councillor in Barberton, was arrested on Tuesday by the police including the Hawks for the murders of off-duty Det Nkosinathi Ngwenya and his friend Japhter Mnisi.
Ngwenya, who was attached to the Nelspruit police’s detective unit, was found dead in October outside a drinking spot in Barberton with multiple gunshot wounds, and next to his lifeless body was that of Mnisi, who also had multiple gunshot wounds.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Nkosi, who was arrested on Tuesday, is a key suspect. Other suspects are still on the run.
“It is alleged that the accused (Nkosi) and his friends went to the second deceased’s (Mnisi) house demanding to see him, in the process they allegedly fired gun shots on the ground and also near the head of Mnisi’s younger brother.
“The suspects are alleged to have gone to search for Mnisi and found him with Ngwenya and shot them multiple times. A witness, which we cannot name, saw the whole shooting,” NPA spokesperson Monica Nyuswa told Sowetan.
Nkosi briefly appeared in the Barberton magistrates court yesterday and his bail application was postponed to November 25.
Hawks spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Capt Deneo Sekgotodi, told Sowetan that the arrest of Nkosi was a team effort between members of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime unit, the Provincial Tracking Team, Barberton detective services and the flying squad.
She said police were hot on the heels of a number of other suspects who were still on the run.
Nkosi was named by the state as one of the key witnesses in the case against Msibi and five other accused, where they are accused of fatally shooting two men outside Nelspruit's Coyotes Chisa Nyama on September 22.
Msibi and incoming ward 45 councillor Shugulugu Mkhonto and Anele Mnisi handed themselves over to the Nelspruit police station on October 11, and they are out on R10,000 bail each on the double murder charge of two men – Sindela Sipho Lubisi and Dingane Ngwenya – as well as the attempted murder of Sifiso Mpila, who was shot in the leg during the shooting outside the chisa nyama.
Msibi and his co-accused’s case was postponed to December 6.
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