Dumi Masilela’s alleged killers vowed to take murder details to the grave

The Benoni Magistrate’s Court on Friday heard how the gang of six men who were allegedly behind the killing of Rhythm City actor Dumi Masilela had vowed to never reveal what had happened on the night he was shot dead in Tembisa.

This was contained in the written confession by one of the accused Sifundo Nkosi‚ who turned himself over to police a few days after the murder.

“Solly and Jabu said we must keep the matter about the shooting to ourselves. If someone amongst us talks about it‚ that person must be killed‚” read the confession.

Parts of it were read out by Magistrate Elmari Schutte.

Nkosi had turned himself in after hearing that Bongani Masombuka‚ one of his co-accused had been arrested.

But on Friday‚ through his lawyer‚ he claimed that the police had beaten and threatened a confession out of him.

A third accused‚ Khumbudzo Solomon Mukhuba‚ alleged to be the triggerman‚ is also behind bars. ]

He was arrested for a separate crime and later linked to Masilela’s murder.

Nkosi applied for bail while Masombuka and Mukhuba opted not to.

But Schutte denied Nkosi bail.

Delivering her verdict‚ she said: “For you to say that there is not a strong case against you is a long shot.”

The investigating officer in the case Mthokozisi Ngwenya said Nkosi gave police a detailed confession of how he and a gang of other men left Tembisa and headed to Daveyton with the intention of stealing a “big car”.

They hijacked Trevor Shabangu of his Jeep‚ bungling him into the backseat before driving with him back to Tembisa where they tried to hijack Masilela who was sitting in his Golf 7.

Masilela was wounded as he tried to flee his attackers. He later died at the Tembisa Hospital.

After Masombuka was arrested following a police investigation‚ Nkosi and another suspect who is yet to be arrested fled to his sister in Rustenburg.

He told police that while in Rustenburg‚ they hijacked a Ford Ranger at gunpoint.

Meanwhile‚ back in Tembisa‚ police had raided his home where they found bags of dagga.

Nkosi decided to turn himself in‚ saying he was worried that the murder would be pinned on him and the other accused he had gone on the run with.

Nkosi said he was innocent and all he had done was drive the Jeep during Masilela’s botched hijacking.

But Schutte said there was nothing noble about him turning himself in.

“The applicant in the case handed himself over but this was not out of the blue. The police were on his heels‚” said Schutte.

Fingerprints taken from the Jeep which was later found dumped in Tembisa have placed Nkosi in the Jeep.

Shabangu‚ the Jeep owner who was dumped following Masilela’s killing‚ was able to identify Khumbuzo Solomon Mukhuba in an identity parade.

The police were still searching for the other suspects in the matter.