Durban – Three men, one of them a councillor, charged with killing African National Congress (ANC) councillor S’bu Maphumulo in October last year, will appear again in May, the Umlazi Magistrate’s Court heard on Tuesday.
“The accused appeared in court and the matter was remanded to May 2 for indictment. They will remain in custody as their application for bail was refused on a previous occasion,” provincial National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Kara told African News Agency (ANA).
ANC ward 80 councillor Mthokozisi Nojiyeza, his brother Phumlani and Nkosinathi Mbambo face charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder for allegedly killing ward 88 councillor Maphumulo in a premeditated act.
33-year-old Umlazi resident Mbambo has a pending case for the murder of another politician, the court heard in January.
32-year-old Maphumulo was shot multiple times while parked in a stationary vehicle outside his home in the V section of Umlazi, just before 10pm, police told ANA at the time.
It has since emerged that Maphumulo and Nojiyeza were friends.
Maphumulo made local headlines in 2017 when shack-dweller group Abahlali baseMjondolo accused him of intimidating one of its Silver City, Umlazi, branch leaders at a community meeting.
Abahlali said Maphumulo stormed the meeting with police officers and “hitmen”, leading the shack dwellers movement to open a case of intimidation.