Drug-fuelled binge leads to gruesome killing on election eve

The father of uMlazi teenager Aphiwe Ngcobo described seeing her bloodied body bound and gagged with stockings on the eve of last year's general elections in the Durban High Court on Wednesday.

An articulate and composed Mondli Petros Ngcobo was testifying in the trial of his two neighbours — Sifundo Bongani Bhengu, 39, and Bongani Jali, 24 — who are charged with housebreaking with intent to steal, robbery with aggravating circumstances and murder. They are pleading not guilty.

Ngcobo, 17, a grade 11 pupil at Durban Girls’ secondary in Greyville was found with a deep penetrating wound to her chest.

“The impression I got is they wanted her not to make a noise or be heard by people. Her mouth was gagged and her hands were tied at the back,” said Ngcobo.

Ngcobo recalled seeing police officers seated in his lounge writing when he entered his house after being alerted by neighbours of the crime. He said one of them asked if he was the owner.

A Hisense LCD television, a DStv decoder and cellphones were stolen during the burglary.

The eThekwini municipality employee said neighbours called him about a break-in at his house while he was giving a presentation at work. 

First was a frantic phone call from neighbour Purity Zulu.

“She phoned about three times. On the third time she asked me to hurry up. My colleagues accompanied me to my house,” he said.

On his way to Umlazi, Ngcobo telephoned another neighbour asking them to check on his daughter Aphiwe.

“My neighbour told me akasekho [she is no more]. I interpreted this to possibly mean my daughter could have left the house to go to the library to study as it was exams. But it meant she had died,” said Ngcobo.

He said he went first to fetch his younger daughter Siphosethu at school before going home to find dozens of people gathered outside his house. 

The widower lost the mother of his two children to cancer in 2023.

He said there were some items missing including the television, a DStv decoder and two remote controls, while there were also signs someone had invaded his bedroom.

Ngcobo recalled a Puma-branded backpack belonging to Aphiwe that contained a book borrowed from a municipal library was also missing.

“Things were upside down as if someone was looking for something valuable in my bedroom. I also noticed that a safe where I keep transport money for my daughters was open,” said Ngcobo.

He said he knew the two accused, describing Bhengu as his neighbour when he bought his property in 2008. He said throughout the years Bhengu was “cold” towards him as he didn’t return his greeting. Jali was a scholar patrol driver.

“Bhengu was known to my daughter, but I am not sure if Jali was known. He could be because of having transported school pupils before,” said Ngcobo.

Jali submitted an affidavit read by his Legal Aid attorney Phumelele Danisa on Wednesday in which he denied any involvement in the robbery or murder.

He said he had met a person called Brian at a house in Philani Valley in uMlazi where they smoked drugs until late into the night. At some point Brian asked him to accompany him to Philani Mall.

He said they later met Bhengu, who bought more drugs.

He said they left Brian at the mall and went to Bhengu's place where they continued their drug binge until they were both high.

Jali said Bhengu asked him if he wanted money so they could buy more drugs, to which he agreed. Bhengu then told him about a house owned by an elderly man who lived across the road with his two daughters. Jali said Bhengu then instructed him to act as a lookout as he went into the Ngcobo home.

Moments later he came back.

Bhengu then told him he had killed a girl in the house and had taken her cellphone and an LCD TV.

“I was shocked when I heard that. Bhengu then told me if I ever tell anyone, he was going to kill me,” he said.

He said Bhengu told him to arrange a car to load the television.

The pair then went to U section of uMlazi where they found a white Polo thath had two occupants.

One of the occupants was known to him as Sticks while the other was unknown to him. They then changed the number plates of the vehicle before going back to the Ngcobo home. En route he claimed Sticks gave Bhengu a firearm. When they reached the house, Bhengu changed his clothes and went back into the Ngcobo home to fetch the television, leaving Sticks, Jali and the third man in the car.

The television was sold and Jali was paid R500 and was later dropped off at U section in uMlazi before he went back to his home.

He said immediately after his arrest he told police he was not party to the teen’s murder or the robbery.

The public gallery was full of United Congregational Church of Southern Africa members and political party representatives.

Presiding judge Garth Harrison made an order compelling the department of correctional services to ensure Jali and Bhengu were separately held and transported to court.

The trial is continuing.