Durban — The 22-year-old man suspected of being linked to a mass shooting in Savannah Park who had the charges withdrawn is now charged with five counts of murder in relation to a shooting in Clermont.
He will be applying for bail again. Comfort Ngubo appeared in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Friday where his defence indicated he would be applying for bail based on new facts.
He faces five counts of murder. It is alleged that on May 8 in 9th Avenue, Clermont, he acted in common purpose with others not before the court, when Sibonelo Shezi, Siboniso Vilakazi, Sipho Zikho, Siphumelele Makaza and Sibonelo Mthethwa were shot and killed.
He is also charged with possession of a firearm without a license, specifically, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol as well as 17 rounds of 9mm parabellum-type live ammunition. It is alleged that he was found with these in Kloof on August 2.
The firearm and ammunition charges Ngubo faces are the same ones that had been provisionally withdrawn against him and his co-accused Njabulo Mchunu in March.
The pair had been out on bail in relation to these charges but Ngubo was arrested for the Clermont murders as soon as he walked out of the courtroom after the charges were provisionally withdrawn.
The two had been out on R8 000 bail and had initially been charged along with Nicolas Sphamandla Hadebe, 24, in August last year.
Hadebe, who was out on R10 000 bail was allegedly found in possession of a shotgun and 24 rounds of ammunition.
Mchunu was alleged to have been found in possession of a black 9mm pistol and ammunition.
Five days after their release on bail Hadebe was gunned down, allegedly by men who arrived at a house in Wyebank in a white Ford double cab with a police registration plate, suspected to be fake.
The three were said to have been linked to the mass shooting in Savannah Park. Siyabonga Shozi, 36, Nkosinathi Gumede, 38, and Nkosingiphile Nzimande, 29, were arrested over Hadebe’s murder and are all out on R10 000 bail.
Following his re-arrest Ngubo applied for bail in April. At the time the magistrate denied him bail, saying he had serious crimes levelled against him. Ngubo’s is back in court on September 14.
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