Durban — EThekwini ANC councillor for ward 101 Mzimuni Ngiba and his co-accused have filed for another bail application in the murder case of ANC ward candidate Siyabonga Mkhize and Mzukisi Nyanga, an ANC activist, who were killed in 2021.
This was revealed by the State on Monday at the Durban High Court during the pre-trial, which ended up not taking place as it was postponed to October 5. The State said it hoped that by October the bail application matter would have been sorted out in the magistrate’s court so that the pre-trial could continue.
State advocate Lawrence Ngcaba told the court that they were notified last week that the accused wanted bail, based on new facts. The accused who applied for bail are Ngiba, Nkosinathi Ngcobo, Sandile Mzizi, Sifiso Mlondo. Moreover, there were initially four accused, but on Monday there were five. It is not clear when the fifth accused was arrested. All the men are facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, unlawful possession of firearms and the unlawful possession of ammunition.
The State alleges that Ngiba and his co-accused conspired to kill Mkhize, who contested the position of being a ward councillor. Ngiba’s term was coming to an end after approximately 12 years of being a councillor in ward 101.
The State alleges that there were two ANC factions within the ward, one called Unity and Continuity (U&C) and the other Renewal Rebuilding Unity (RRU).
The deceased were members of the U&C faction and the four accused members of the RRU camp. Mkhize won as the ward councillor candidate after the ANC held branch general meetings to hold elections for the ward candidate.
The State further said the accused and some members of the RRU were not happy with the election of Mkhize and made attempts to derail his formal endorsement by the ANC at eThekwini Municipality, but failed.
“As a result, the four accused and others conspired to have the victim killed, and such killing be committed prior to the national local government elections that were to take place in November 2021,” said the State.
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