MANZINI – A local man will be handed over to South African authorities to face murder and attempted murder charges linked to a fatal club stabbing incident that occurred in 2020.
Principal Magistrate David Khumalo ruled on Friday that Mfanawenkhosi Magagula should be extradited to South Africa following a request by the KaBhokweni Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga, where a warrant for his arrest was issued on February 24, 2021.
Magagula is accused of fatally stabbing Sandile Mathebula during an altercation at Cubana Lounge in Mpumalanga on November 28, 2020. Mathebula was declared dead at a hospital shortly after the incident. His friend, Goodnews Ngomane, who reportedly tried to intervene, also sustained injuries in the same attack.
According to evidence submitted by South African authorities, Magagula fled the country soon after the incident and crossed into Eswatini, evading capture for over three years. A lookout notice was issued, and he was eventually apprehended in Manzini on March 3, 2024, by local police. He has been held at a correctional facility since then.
South African prosecutors submitted that Ngomane, the surviving witness, would provide critical testimony during the trial, which they believe will lead to Magagula’s conviction.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in Eswatini filed for Magagula’s extradition after receiving the formal request from South Africa. However, Magagula challenged the move in court, questioning the credibility of the evidence and raising issues around discrepancies in the case documents.
Among the inconsistencies he pointed out were conflicting descriptions of the crime scene, with one document indicating the stabbing happened at a house while the charge sheet stated it took place at Cubana Lounge. He also cited gender misidentification in official papers and differing descriptions of the wounds inflicted on the victim.
The court, however, dismissed his objections. Magistrate Khumalo ruled that the errors in the documents were typographical and had been addressed through a supplementary affidavit filed by the prosecution.
He stated that the court was satisfied with the case made by the DPP’s office and found no legal basis to block the extradition.
The final decision on Magagula’s handover now rests with the Prime Minister’s Office, to whom the ruling has been forwarded. However, Magagula retains the right to appeal the court’s decision if he continues to contest the extradition.
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