- Ncaza will be back in court on Valentine’s Day to testify against Sipho Shongwe
- Sipho’s Lawyer, Ben J. Simelane withdraw services
Mbabane: The South African national, Mbuso Floyd ‘Ncaza’ Nkosi, who is alleged to have pulled the trigger to kill businessman Victor Gamedze, will be back in court on Valentine’s Day (February 14, 2022) to testify against Sipho Shongwe.
Shongwe is the businessman who is believed to have orchestrated or the mastermind behind the murder of Gamedze, the Mbabane Swallows Chairman who was gunned down on January 14, 2018, at Galp Filling Station, Ezulwini.
on Monday, Nkosi, was in court to give his testimony and was expected to tell the court why he came to the country to kill Gamedze or who had hired him.
Shongwe’s entire legal team was not present in court, only Lawyer Ben J. Simelane was present, however, he also withdrew his services which was revealed by High Court Judge Nkosinathi Maseko presiding over the matter.
“We cannot proceed today because attorneys representing the accused are not before the court. The one who was before court withdrew his services. The law in this country does not permit a murder accused person to have his trial without representation. The matter will now continue on February 14 to February 18 starting at 9:30 am all these days,” said the judge.
Judge Nkosi continued, “We have agreed with South Africa to facilitate having you testify in person as per the wish of the accused person instead of testifying via audiovisual link (AVL). We further urge that you be brought in person on these new dates of the trial. The accused has also promised his South Africa advocate (Laurence Hodes) and legal team will be present.”
Meanwhile, the court has already heard from the previous witness Siphiwe ‘Tata’ Ngubane that Shongwe allegedly solicited Nkosi to kill his business partner who had become a threat to his business interests. Ngubane claimed that his accomplices had lied to him, telling him that they were coming to the country to rob a certain wealthy businessman who carried stashes of cash wherever he went.
However, the court heard that the South Africans didn’t go through with the robbery plan, and instead Gamedze was killed. It is now up to Nkosi to clarify to the court if indeed he had been contracted to kill Gamedze or that his death came about as a botched robbery.
He is expected to tell the court whether anyone had promised him any payment for the alleged killing of Gamedze. Two gunshots put an end to the illustrious business and football careers of Gamedze.
Investigators had indicated that his killing had all the trappings of a murder-for-hire, and Nkosi has all along been fingered as the person who pulled the trigger.
Someone in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt had followed Gamedze just after he had emerged from a convenience shop at Galp Filling Station, where he had gone to buy coffee, while from watching a soccer match between his beloved team Mbabane Swallows and Manzini Wanderers at the Somhlolo Stadium.
The person was seen in video footage taking out a firearm, which he later discharged, killing the businessman instantly before he returned to a getaway car that had been parked nearby. An investigation that was subsequently launched later linked the two South Africans to the shocking murder incident.
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