Former Umzimkhulu municipal manager Zweliphansi Stanley Skhosana appeared briefly in the Umzimkhulu magistrate's court on Tuesday in connection with the murder of former ANC Youth League secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa.
Skhosana, 55, believed to be one of the masterminds in Magaqa's murder, was arrested on Monday in Malvern, Durban.
His case was postponed to Friday for the defence to appoint counsel for a bail application. He was reminded.
Skhosana appeared on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, possession of a prohibited firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and defeating the administration of justice.
He was previously arrested in 2018 with the late mayor of the Harry Gwala district municipality Mluleki Ndobe, businessman Mbulelo Mpofana, former police officers Sbonelo Myeza and Mlungisi Ncalane, and Sibusiso Ncengwa.
Ndobe and Skhosana are believed to be the masterminds who allegedly ordered a hit on Magaqa. However, charges were withdrawn against them in 2019 due to insufficient evidence.
Ncengwa, a self-confessed hitman, was sentenced on July 7 for Magaqa's murder in 2017. He was handed:
- 25 years for conspiracy to commit murder;
- 25 years for murder;
- 15 years for three counts of attempted murder;
- nine years for malicious damage to property;
- 10 years for unlawful possession of a firearm; and
- one year for possession of ammunition.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
Ncengwa was already serving 95 years in prison for armed robbery convictions.
At the time of his murder, Magaqa was attached to the Umzimkhulu local municipality. He was shot with two other councillors, who survived the hit, in July 2017. Magaqa died in hospital in September.
The police political killings task team took over the case in July 2018 after the formation of the unit. Within a month, the first hitman, Ncengwa, was arrested by the team.
Three other co-accused — Myeza, Mpofana and Ncalane — were charged with conspiracy to murder, murder, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition and malicious damage to property.
Ncalane was declared unfit to stand trial after two psychiatric reports revealed he was mentally ill. He is a patient at Fort Napier Hospital in Pietermaritzburg.
The trial of the other two suspects is scheduled for October.
Magaqa's cousin Lwazi Magaqa welcomed Skhosana's rearrest.
TimesLIVE
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