Lusikisiki Mass Murder Trial Set to Begin Next Week
The long-awaited trial of six men accused of one of the most brutal mass killings in recent South African history is finally set to begin on Monday, 28 July 2025. The trial will take place at the Lusikisiki Magistrate's Court under a special sitting of the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court.
This follows the horrific events of 28 September 2024, when 18 people were gunned down at two neighbouring homesteads in Ngobozana Village, near the rural town of Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed this week that eight weeks have been set aside for the trial, which is expected to run until 19 September 2025. NPA regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said all six accused will face multiple serious charges.
The accused — Mzukisi Ndamase, Siphosoxolo Myekethe, Aphiwe 'AP' Ndende, Bonga Hintsa, Mawethu Nomdlembu, and Songezo Vuma — are facing 18 counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, and illegal possession of weapons and ammunition.
'These six individuals have all since abandoned their bail applications and will remain in custody throughout the trial,' said Tyali.
According to the NPA, the accused were allegedly involved in a violent shooting spree that left the Ngobozana community in shock and mourning. The massacre, which happened on a Saturday evening, drew national attention and sparked calls for stronger action against violent crime in rural areas.
Adding to the seriousness of the case is the alleged involvement of 46-year-old Mzukisi Ndamase, who is already serving a life sentence for a previous murder conviction. Authorities believe Ndamase orchestrated the Lusikisiki killings from inside the eBongweni Super Maximum Prison in Kokstad, KwaZulu-Natal.
Despite the gravity of the charges, Ndamase has chosen to represent himself in court.
'He has indicated to the court that he will conduct his own defence,' Tyali confirmed.
Investigators have also linked the accused to another murder that occurred just weeks before the Lusikisiki massacre. On 19 August 2024, Mncedi Gijana, a local politician from KwaBhaca, was killed. The NPA says there is evidence connecting some of the same suspects to that crime as well.
In a related update, the state withdrew charges earlier this year against two other suspects initially arrested in connection with the mass shooting. Lwando Abi and Zenande Paya were released in March after the NPA told the court that there was no longer enough evidence to proceed against them.
Abi, who served seven years of a ten-year sentence for attempted murder in 2012, now has no pending cases.
With those charges dropped, the focus now shifts fully to the remaining six accused. The case was transferred from Mthatha High Court to the Lusikisiki circuit court, where extra security is expected due to the high-profile nature of the matter and the number of victims involved.
Residents of Ngobozana and surrounding areas have expressed relief that the trial is finally going ahead, hoping it will bring justice to the families of those who were killed.
Community leaders have also called for counselling and support services to be made available for survivors and relatives of the victims.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mail & Guardian
26 minutes ago
- Mail & Guardian
Don't eat alone — we also want to, whistleblowers allegedly told Polokwane municipal manager
Polokwane mayor John Mpe. (Polokwane Municipality) Polokwane mayor The 'fake' whistleblowers had contacted municipal manager Mail & Guardian . The mayor spoke after leaked documents surfaced on social media last week purporting to show that the Mpe alleged that one so-called whistleblower had called the city manager, saying: 'We are aware that it is your time to eat, we are just saying also allow us to eat.' 'Is that the language of a whistleblower and somebody who wants to fight corruption? If there's somebody who must benefit from our projects, it's our community,' Mpe said. 'You can see that this person might be even from the inside [the municipality]. This has made us realise that we are stopping the rot, hence they have been looking at what they can get from this person [Nemugumoni]. We need to fight corruption — not on the basis of who is benefiting.' Mpe said some former contractors with the municipality were angry that work previously done by them was now being insourced and were trying to create the impression of widespread corruption in the municipality as payback. He cited the example of the City of Polokwane taking over the maintenance of the Peter Mokaba Stadium, work which had been done by private contractors. The city had also cancelled contracts for fleet cards — credit cards used to manage expenses for municipal vehicles. 'Now it is our workers that are cleaning the stadium and the stadium is in good condition. We show tangible things that we have stopped. There were Polokwane fleet cards which were being managed by private contractors. The question is why would the municipality hire somebody to organise fleet cards for its own cars? Why can't they go to their banker?' 'The cards were from [one] bank while the municipality was banking with another bank. The municipality was paying that service provider R1.5 million monthly and we got rid of it. People were upset when we started saving R3.5 million from the fleet tender arrangements that were not proper.' In a letter dated 23 July and seen by the M&G , Limpopo MEC for the department of cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs Basikopo Makamu asked Mpe to provide a report within seven working days on the allegations which had surfaced on social media. The letter indicated that the Democratic Alliance had approached Makamu's office on the matter. A source told the M&G that a company owned by Nemugumoni's boyfriend had been paid over R56 million and that at least seven other companies owned by Zimbabweans were given preference over South African firms. Without naming the Zimbabwean-owned companies, the source said they were awarded contracts for construction, road works, bulk water services and consulting. Spreadsheets allegedly showing payments in relation to these companies have been making the rounds on social media. Mpe said, as mayor, he does not know who gets paid when, as that is an administrative process. He also questioned the credibility of the information, saying one spreadsheet showed payment for services rendered in 2026 while another was handwritten. 'We are in 2025 now,' he pointed out. 'This just shows it's not credible information. Why must we start an investigation on information that is not credible? Where there is credible information, we will have to investigate.' He said the company allegedly linked to Nemugumoni's boyfriend had been working in Polokwane, and various other municipalities, and it would be unfair to expect him as mayor to know who its owner was dating. Those alleging that the company was owned by Nemugumoni's boyfriend should provide proof, he added. 'We have over 2 000 employees and we have probably 100 of them in senior positions. How will I know who is having a boyfriend? How will I manage that part? If they have got [tangible] information about such a relationship, which would be a conflict of interest between the accounting officer and that particular person, they need to bring that information to us,' he said. 'Going into the personal life of somebody means I must [summon] the city manager and say, 'Who is your new boyfriend and what is happening in your life?' from time to time.' He also disputed the allegation that the municipality has preferred Zimbabwean-owned companies over South African ones. 'They have mentioned eight companies out of more than 150 companies that are doing business with the municipality. If people have got permanent residency and IDs in South Africa, can you stop them from doing business in South Africa on the basis that they were born somewhere in Malawi? You can't do that.' The source who spoke to the M&G said Mpe was facing another corruption matter with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the This, according to the source, was in order to check that companies doing business with the municipality, including that of Nemugumoni's boyfriend, were not giving kickbacks to Mpe via the foundation. However, in an affidavit dated 24 July 2025, which the M&G has seen, the Hawks in Limpopo withdrew an urgent application meant to be heard at the 'Based on the new information on the issue of the municipal manager, the Hawks had to withdraw the case so they could amend their charge sheet. The foundation got a sum of R8 million and they can't account for where it came from,' the source said. On Monday, ActionSA chairperson in Limpopo Victor Mothemela opened a corruption case against Mpe and the municipal manager, citing allegations that also surfaced on social media that R750 million was irregularly paid to companies whose owners have close ties to both of them. Build One South Africa Limpopo provincial leader Ngako Setji has also approached the Special Investigating Unit for forensic probes into the allegations. On Monday, Hawks spokesperson 'We will have a meeting today with all the relevant people to find out where this thing is coming from and what is happening,' Mbambo said. She added that the Hawks had never brought an application to court and would meet with the people said to have deposed the affidavit. 'We just saw that we have agreed to pay the R1.2 million in legal fees for withdrawing the case, so that is why we are saying we have to meet up with everybody relevant to say who authorised the things that are being said,' Mbambo said. Mpe said the issue had been drummed up by his detractors within his 'This is orchestrated from within the organisation. There are people who are within the ANC [but] are no longer with the ANC by their conduct and their actions, you can see.' Mpe acknowledged the need to fix governance in the municipality, which he said had a culture of impunity for wrongdoers. 'If we had bad intentions, why would we appoint people who have credible qualifications to fix some of our challenges, to fix the internal control deficiencies that we have?' he said. 'So, they then say, 'What can we get from him [Mpe] so that he stops these administrative reforms?' If we were not doing our work in Polokwane, how did we improve the audit outcome in the 2022-23 financial year and maintain those improvements over the past three years?'
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Top 10 stories of the day: Tiffany Meek denied bail
Here's your daily news update for Tuesday, 29 July 2025: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories. News today includes Tiffany Nicole Meek, the mother of slain 11-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek, has been denied bail and will remain in custody. Meanwhile, two additional murder cases have been linked to controversial businessman Katiso 'KT' Molefe and the three men charged alongside him in the killing of South African artist Oupa John Sefoka, widely known as DJ Sumbody. Furthermore, South Africans are living longer, with the national life expectancy now 12 years more than it was at the turn of the century. Weather tomorrow: 30 July 2025 Saws warns of strong winds and rough seas in the Cape provinces, while the rest of the country can expect mostly fine, cool to cold weather. Full weather forecast here. Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way. 'Why were alarm bells not sounded sooner?' – Jayden-Lee Meek's mother denied bail Tiffany Nicole Meek, the mother of slain 11-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek, has been denied bail and will remain in custody. The ruling was handed down by the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, following two weeks of arguments presented by both the state and defence. Tiffany Nicole Meek appears at Roodepoort Magistrate's Court in the murder case of her son Jayden-Lee Meek on 23 July 2025. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen Meek faces charges of murder, crimen injuria, defeating the ends of justice, and attempting to obstruct justice in relation to the death of her son. CONTINUE READING: 'Why were alarm bells not sounded sooner?' – Jayden-Lee Meek's mother denied bail Is GNU to blame for Powell's resignation as DA's international relations spokesperson? Questions are being raised after Emma Powell resigned as the DA's international relations spokesperson on Monday. Powell said she decided to step down after being harassed, threatened and intimidated. Emma Louise Powell. Picture: X/@powellemmaloui1 However, a political analyst from the University of Free State (UFS), Sanet Solomon, said there could be more to Powell's resignation than meets the eye. CONTINUE READING: Is GNU to blame for Powell's resignation as DA's international relations spokesperson? Two more murder cases linked to suspects in DJ Sumbody killing Two additional murder cases have been linked to controversial businessman Katiso 'KT' Molefe and the three men charged alongside him in the killing of South African artist Oupa John Sefoka, widely known as DJ Sumbody. Molefe, along with former police detective Michael Pule Tau, Musa Kekana, and Tiego Floyd Mabusela, made a second appearance at the Alexandra Magistrate's Court on Tuesday. Businessman Katiso 'KT' Molefe and three alleged hitmen appear at Alexandra Magistrate's Court in connection with the murder of DJ Sumbody on 29 July 2025. Picture: Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo The four men face charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of illegal ammunition. CONTINUE READING: Two more murder cases linked to suspects in DJ Sumbody killing Economists question if SA has a plan for US tariffs, Tau says here it is The new United States (US) tariffs, where South African imports into the US would be subject to a 30% import tariff, are kicking in on Friday and with little communication from government, experts were starting to say it seems that South Africa has no plan. However, this afternoon, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) sent out a press release with Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, reaffirming South Africa's commitment to a conclusion of the US trade deal. Picture: iStock According to the release, Tau says the intersection of geopolitical, domestic and trade issues best defines the current impasse between South Africa and the US, and a reset is unavoidable. CONTINUE READING: Economists question if SA has a plan for US tariffs, Tau says here it is South Africans living longer: Here's the life expectancy rate in 2025 South Africans are living longer, with the national life expectancy now 12 years more than it was at the turn of the century. The continued rise in life expectancy is thanks to advances in healthcare, HIV prevention, and overall living conditions. Picture: iStock According to Statistics South Africa's (Stats SA) 2025 mid-year population estimates, life expectancy at birth is now 64 years for males and 69 years for females. CONTINUE READING: South Africans living longer: Here's the life expectancy rate in 2025 Here are five more stories of the day: Yesterday's News recap READ HERE: Arrest in Magaqa murder case | Simphiwe Dana blasts Nomzamo Mbatha | M1 bus brawl accident
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Double life sentence for KZN schoolgirl killer
Baphumulele Zulu (24) has been handed two life sentences by Ixopo Regional Court in KZN for murdering two schoolgirls near Creighton in Ngwagwane in 2022. Zululand Observer reports that he received another eight years for escaping lawful custody. KZN National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara says Amanda Zulu and Minenhle Buthelezi – two Grade 12 pupils – were renting a house in the area to be closer to school. 'On the evening of July 30, 2022, both complainants were attacked at the house. Following the incident, Amanda Zulu was found bleeding outside the house. She was taken to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. 'Buthelezi's body was found further away in a ditch in a field. Both had been brutally assaulted on their heads with an unknown object. Zulu was arrested after a family member handed him over to the police.' Ramkisson-Kara says both families were confused as to the motives behind the killings, and that Zulu had not appeared remorseful. 'This sentence underscores the seriousness with which the justice system views crimes of this nature. The accused in this matter snuffed out the lives of two young women. The NPA remains resolute in our pursuit of justice on behalf of the victims of crime,' she says. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on
