Durban — A witness in the murder case of ANC eThekwini councillor Minenhle Mkhize of ward 103, which includes Botha’s Hill, Assagay and KwaSondela, confessed in the Durban High Court on Wednesday that he lied to protect a man alleged to have killed Mkhize.
Mkhize was shot dead in his home at Cliffdale while seated in his vehicle in 2022. He sustained multiple bullet wounds to the head.
The fifth witness in this matter said that on the day Mkhize was killed, the first accused, Mxolisi Gcabashe, of KwaNyuswa, had asked them to drop him off by Mkhize’s home.
Gcabashe and his co-accused, Ntokozo Ndlela of Inanda, are facing charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, unlawful possession of a semi-automatic firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.
Gcabashe also faces other charges which include theft and unlawful possession of firearms.
The witness said they had been having a nice time that day and were going to Mahlobeni Shisanyama. They passed Mkhize’s home as it was on the way to the shisanyama.
“We passed by the deceased's home and… his car was approaching and he got into his home. Gcabashe then asked us to drop him off just after we had passed Mkhize’s home. He told us to wait for him and after a while we heard gunshots,” the witness explained.
He said that after they heard the shots Gcabashe came back to the car and a gun fell to the ground.
“He told us to not say anything about this and when I made my first statement to the police I did not tell the truth because I was protecting him and he had asked me to not say anything,” said the witness.
The State alleges that when the ANC won ward 103 in the local government elections in 2021and Mkhize became councillor, some of its members were not happy about it. Mkhize was also appointed as chairperson of the Branch Executive Committee of the ANC that year.
“Prior to the shooting, both Gcabashe and Ndlela arrived in Cliffdale with a black VW Golf belonging to Gcabashe. On the day, Ndlela was the driver. At approximately 7.30pm Mkhize arrived at his home in a white Toyota Hilux and remained in it,” the State said.
The State alleges that Gcabashe, who was armed, approached Mkhize and fired several shots at him while he was seated in the car. It says that Gcabashe left the scene and got into the car and drove away with Ndlela.
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