Durban - Two policemen appeared in the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday for one of two cases involving the alleged murder of a councillor and three others.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said Mayendran Chetty and Thanduxolo Vincent Phelago appeared in court today for the murder of two men, Cyril Nzimande and Yelo Sydney Buthelezi, in August this year.
“They appeared on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of a firearm and three counts of the unlawful possession of ammunition,” she said.
Ramkisson-Kara said both accused had been remanded. She said the matter would return to court on November 25 for a bail application.
With regard to the second case, she said Chetty and Phelago were also charged with two counts of murder in the Port Shepstone area
“They are alleged to have killed ward councillor Mnqobi Molefe and another person – Zitha Mqapheli Cele,” she said.
“This matter returns to court on November 18, as it was previously adjourned for them to get attorneys,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
The Mercury’s sister publication, Daily News, reported on the two accused’s first appearance. The report said the Umkomaas officers appeared in the Margate Magistrate’s Court on Friday for the murder of the ward 99 councillor.
Molefe was shot and killed while at his fiancée’s home in Mvutshini village outside Margate on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast in September.
According to the report, the officers were first arrested by the SAPS political killing unit for the murder of two people who were close associates of Molefe. The accused appeared in the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, and then moved to the Margate court on Friday after they were said to be linked to Molefe’s murder.
The investigations are being handled separately.