By Wonder Hlongwa.
The Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday heard how an impatient provincial minister of health and the African National Congress deputy provincial leader, Dr Zweli Mkhize, allegedly scolded those plotting to kill United Democratic Movement leader Sifiso Nkabinde for "taking too long" to kill him.
The court also heard that Mkhize was going to pay the R200 000 reward to the Nkabinde killers.
Leading state witness Bruce Mhlongo - who was once Mkhize's bodyguard - told the court of a series of unsuccessful attempts to kill Nkabinde.
He said he was under pressure from Richmond ANC councillor Joel Mkhize, who is accused No 1 in the murder trial.
Mhlongo told the court that at one stage they nearly abandoned the plot to assassinate Nkabinde as a result of misunderstandings between himself and Mkhize.
"On Thursday (one day before the murder was committed), we had a quarrel with (Joel) Mkhize; we told him that he wanted to sell us out because he knew the stolen car we were going to use as a getaway vehicle was not in order, it needed to be repaired.
"But then (Dr) Mkhize told us if we did not kill Nkabinde we would lose out because the money was already in his possession. Accused No 2 (Siphiwe Shabane) confirmed that the money had been delivered by Minister Mkhize," said Mhlongo.
Mhlongo is testifying in the trial of seven men accused of killing Nkabinde outside Bridgeway supermarket in January last year.
It took Mhlongo and his co-accused more than six weeks to plan and execute the murder.
He told the court how the plan to use the official Richmond mayoral vehicle was aborted when its driver, Joseph Ngcongo, became reluctant to take part in Nkabinde's murder.
It had been planned that Mhlongo and other suspects would execute the killing and then run away to where the official Richmond mayoral vehicle would have waited for them.
The court also heard how a house that belonged to Lulu Thompson was used as a half-way house for Mhlongo and other criminals, while they were plotting to assassinate Nkabinde.
It is believed Thompson is a relative of former Richmond deputy mayor Percy Thompson, who was shot dead in 1998 in what later became known as the Richmond "Tavern Massacre".
The stolen car, which was going to be used as a first getaway vehicle, was parked at Thompson's house in Richmond.
It was later removed to Ngcongo's house where its registration numbers were changed.
Another policeman was implicated in the Nkabinde murder trial.
Mhlongo told the court that immediately after they stole the car in Howick, they kept it in a Thornville house that belonged to Sergeant Nathi Dlamini, who was stationed at Plessislaer.