Weeks after the chief of the Nxamalala tribal authority was arrested for the murder of DA councillor and chief whip Nhlalayenza Ndlovu, an anonymous caller made an explosive allegation that he had tried to pay R100,000 to one of his co-accused, Khayelihle Shabalala, not to implicate him in the murder.
This is the evidence stemming from a supplementary affidavit presented by KwaZulu-Natal deputy director of public prosecutions Lawrence Gcaba linking Inkosi Simphiwe Zuma, 55, to the murder. The startling revelation was made at the Howick magistrate’s court on Monday during the bail application of Zuma and his co-accused, which the state is opposing.
The state is of the view that Zuma is likely to interfere with state witnesses and undermine the functioning of the criminal justice system.
“The message is written in isiZulu. When we were trying to phone this number, the phone was off,” said Gcaba.
Zuma, with Thabani Masobho Hlongwa, 31, Khayelihle Shabalala, 31, and Thabo Mathonsi, 26, are charged with murdering Ndlovu.
Gcaba said Zuma, who is being detained in a single cell at the Westville correctional service facility, was found on August 21 with a cellphone and a charging cable. Zuma is alleged to have failed to provide reasons for being in possession of a cellphone, and he knew he was not allowed to have one.
He also kept a small notebook with several numbers of people including MK Party MPL Thobani Zuma, who is also a former deputy mayor of the Msunduzi municipality.
An amount of R10,000 is alleged to have been paid into Shabalala's Capitec account, a move which the state feels lends credence to what the informer had suggested.
The affidavit also alleges Zuma had communicated with a female police officer only named as a Sgt Zikalala stationed at the Mayville police station who is alleged to have helped him get items illegally in prison.
The same phone could be traced back to when Zuma was detained at the Mayville police station in Durban. It is the same cellphone he used to speak to his legal representatives.
In the last court appearance on August 22, Zuma had told the court about being assaulted while in prison. This has been rejected by the state which said Zuma had been seen by two general practitioners between August 23 and August 24 at the correctional facility who did not make any findings. It was only on August 25 that bruising and lacerations were visible.
“One wonders where this comes from three days after the attack,” said Gcaba.
Ndlovu was shot dead outside his home in December 2023 in front of his wife, two children and a nanny. His family have since abandoned the home outside eMpophomeni.
Zwelithini Buthelezi, the hitman who was paid to kill Ndlovu, has now turned state witness and been placed under the witness protection programme.
Gcaba said sometime in 2018, Buthelezi was made an induna under the Emasosheni area of Mpophomeni which falls under the Nxamalala tribal authority. This was after the resignation of Nduna Mchunu. Buthelezi and Zuma forged a close bond
During 2022, there was a piece of land which was a subject of a dispute between the DA-governed uMngeni municipality and tribal authorities, which resulted in a legal showdown at the Pietermaritzburg high court.
This lands forms part of the eMasosheni area around the Mpophomeni township. Ndlovu stayed in the same area which was the subject of a dispute. The Nxamalala tribal authority had claimed the land belongs to it while the municipality maintained it was part of their land.
While the two parties were embroiled in a dispute, Zuma and Buthelezi were selling pieces of land for between R30,000 to R70,000 with monies from the sale of land allegedly going into Zuma’s account.
He said after a court order barring the sale of land Zuma allegedly hatched a plan to have Ndlovu killed as he deemed him to be countering the sale of land.
In addition, Buthelezi and Zuma, with the assistance of others, also allegedly made illicit electricity connections which Ndlovu was against.
According to the state, Zuma saw the deceased as a stumbling block to their electricity gains.
Zuma is alleged to have approached Buthelezi, who was in custody, to arrange the killing of Ndlovu.
The state alleges Zuma and Buthelezi had gone to Ndlovu’s family in the aftermath of his death to pay their respects so that they would not be suspected of his assassination.
The state has also received cellphone voice calls between Zuma and Buthelezi including a voice note where Buthelezi is heard telling him Ndlovu had been shot dead.
“Zuma also praises Chonco for being a good hitman. There is no doubt that it’s him [Zuma] being heard despite him denying it, but that would be proven at the trial court,” said Gcaba.
The case has been adjourned to September 8 for continuation of the bail application.
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