By Mbongeni Zondi
The minister of health for KwaZulu-Natal, Zweli Mkhize, distanced himself from the murder of the United Democratic Movement leader, Sifiso Nkabinde, in an affidavit submitted to the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Thursday.
Mkhize has been repeatedly fingered in the Nkabinde murder trial as the man who was to pay the R200 000 reward to Nkabinde's killers.
Dennis "Danny" Mbanjwa and Khombumthakathi Mbanjwa are on trial for their alleged roles in the plot to kill Nkabinde. Five other men have already been convicted and sentenced to life in prison for Nkabinde's murder.
Mkhize said that several days after Nkabinde's murder in 1999, Siphiwe Shabane and Councillor Joel Mkhize and Danny Mbanjwa, all African National Congress activists, had asked him to assist with money to pay people who had killed Nkabinde.
Mkhize said he had been annoyed by the men's request and he had refused.
According to his affidavit, at the height of violence in the Richmond area he and other ANC leaders were consistently approached by youth who requested weapons so that they could attack Nkabinde, whom they blamed for the violence.
Mkhize said he interpreted such comments as emotional outbursts arising from the crisis which prevailed in Richmond.
Dennis Mbanjwa took the stand and told the court that he had approached the minister to ask for money to pay Nkabinde's killers on two occasions but the ANC leader had refused, saying he did not want to be involved in criminal activities.
The case is proceeding.