Two of the accused in custody for the shooting of prominent East London-based attorney Camagu Maseti are his nephews.
Five men, including the two brothers, were arrested about 24 hours after the near-fatal shooting of Maseti outside his practice on Friday.
They appeared briefly in the East London magistrate’s court on Monday and informed the court they intended to apply for bail.
The state alleges that Fikile Mtshemla, 40, from Quigney, Sazi Mjali, 41, from Umlazi in Durban, Bongani Shezi, 35, and brothers Sinovuyo and Sive Maseti, 33 and 30, from the Tutura administrative area in Centane, planned the hit on the attorney.
The Maseti brothers have an alternative address in Westville in Durban and were arrested in Westville on Saturday.
The Dispatch has reliably learnt the brothers are the sons of Camagu Maseti’s younger brother.
Maseti, 70, was attacked as he arrived at his law firm in Vincent on Friday morning. Two men — one dressed in a police uniform and the other in a reflector vest — ambushed him and opened fire. He was taken to hospital.
The attack left a trail of bullet holes in the law firm’s wall and a traumatised staff.
In CCTV footage, two men can be seen walking casually towards Maseti’s practice. Maseti then arrives, gets out of his double-cab bakkie and, as he climbs the stairs to his office, two men run towards him and fire a volley of shots before fleeing.
Witnesses said they heard about nine gunshots and then Maseti calling for help.
The men face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, and impersonating a police officer.
In court on Monday, senior state prosecutor Wayne Jafta said the state opposed their release on bail.
The men elected to be represented by Legal Aid.
It is the state’s case that the accused are a flight risk. It is alleged they acted in common purpose and planned the hit.
In court, the accused kept looking at their relatives in the gallery and waving at them.
Some of the relatives waved back and blew kisses. When approached, the relatives declined to comment.
The two hitmen drove away in a Mercedes-Benz seconds after shooting Maseti.
Police spokesperson Col Priscilla Naidu said on Sunday, while police were still at the crime scene, East London crime intelligence was already at work gathering crucial information.
“Within an hour and with the assistance of the Buffalo City Metro district detective co-ordinator, their efforts led to the discovery of the silver Mercedes-Benz getaway vehicle in Amalinda.
“The arrest of a 42-year-old man followed swiftly when a second vehicle, a Renault Clio, was spotted at a complex on the beachfront,” Naidu said.
Two more suspects, aged 35 and 41, alleged to be the hitmen, were arrested while attempting to flee in a Durban-bound bus.
Naidu said the bus was stopped in Mthatha by members of the Mthatha serious and violent crimes unit.
Two firearms were recovered from a house in Quigney, and would be sent for ballistic testing.
“The motive [for the shooting] is still under investigation,” she said.
Black Lawyers’ Association president, advocate Bayethe Maswazi, said they were happy police acted so swiftly. “We commend them for their good work,” he said.
The five accused will be back in the dock on February 20.
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