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IOL News
11-05-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
Truck drivers raise concerns about employment and working conditions at safety symposium
South Africa's truck drivers gathered for the two-day truck driver's symposium held at the Birchwood Hotel on Thursday where they discussed various issues and challenges affecting the industry. The hiring of foreign nationals instead of South Africans, burning of trucks and working long hours for minimal pay were some of the issues that were highlighted by various truck drivers who gathered at the Birchwood Hotel for the Truck Drivers Safety Symposium which took place on Thursday and Friday. Vusi Bhengu who represents the All-Truck Drivers Forum and Allied South Africa (ATDF-ASA) urged government to implement stricter regulations to ensure local truck drivers are prioritised by the South African trucking industry. "Our challenges in this industry are many and one of them is them is that we are pushed and forced to work long hours for minimal pay which leads to fatigue and accidents on the roads. Another big problem which recently led to the torching of trucks across the country, is the employment of foreigners at the expense of local truck drivers," said Bhengu.
IOL News
23-04-2025
- IOL News
Confession in Durban High Court: The Murder of Wandile Aphiwe Ngcobo
Wandile Aphiwe Ngcobo who was killed in her home at uMlazi Image: supplied The Durban High Court on Wednesday has learned that 17-year-old Wandile Aphiwe Ngcobo's killer confessed to a civilian after he went to rob her home to sell valuables and get money to buy drugs. The two accused Sfundo Bongani Bhengu and Bongani Freedom Jali were smoking drugs when they decided to go and rob the home of Wandile, who was home alone on that fateful day, May 28, 2024. Wandile's body was gagged and bound in her home at uMlazi. The duo allegedly took a television and Wandile's cellphone. They sold the TV for R3000 and her cellphone for R700. A State witness Nkululeko Sticks Mbatha told this court that he was called by Gugu Nzuza, the girlfriend of Nzuza. Mbatha said he received a call from Nzuza in the morning and she asked him if he had access to a car because Bhengu had made a mess. He stated that Nzuza informed him Bhengu would be calling. 'I did not have a car with me but I organised from Sihle Ntombela,' she said. Mbatha said he called Nzuza again when Bhengu did not call to request for his number. He said he and Ntombela decided to change the number plates of the car and they went to Bhengu. He said because Bhengu could not give the exact address they met halfway and they went to Wandile's home. They also picked up Jali who was standing on the road. Mbatha pointed to the home in a picture provided to him. He said some boys were chilling by the container by Wandile's home and when Bhengu alighted from the vehicle they ran away. 'He had a firearm,' he said. He said Bhengu had his face covered because he was wearing a cap and a surgical mask. He said when Bhengu went inside the property he came carrying a black bag. State senior prosecutor advocate Krishen Shah showed Mbatha a picture of a Puma bag and asked if Bhengu carried a similar bag, Mbatha confirmed that it was indeed the bag. Mbatha said Bhengu also came back with the TV and the four of them - Jali, Ntombela, Mbatha and Bhengu - drove to town to sell the TV. Mbatha said he was the driver. He said they found a buyer in town and after that Bhengu gave him money. 'Although I can't remember how much it is, it was more than R500,' he said. He said they also went to a petrol station and Bhengu paid between R300 and R400 for fuel. Additionally, he said there was a quarrel between Bhengu and Jali and he asked what it was about and told them not to fight. 'Bhengu said Jali wanted a big share of the money when he did not do much. He said he also needed money for cleansing as he killed someone where he got the television,' Mbatha told the court. He mentioned that following the confession, the atmosphere in the car became tense. 'We went quiet for about a few seconds to a minute,' he said. Adv Shah asked Mbatha why they changed the number plates of the vehicles with Ntombela. Mbatha said he had committed a crime. 'Can I be honest with you? Whenever someone calls frantically and says they need transport because they have done something. You need to change number plates to avoid being implicated,' he said. Mbatha further described Jali as someone who was under the influence, who was sluggish during the entire time they went to sell the TV. Before Mbatha was sworn in Judge Garth Harrison warned him, as he is a section 204 witness. He should frankly tell the truth and could be discharged of being an accessory to robbery, theft, and murder. The trial continues.
The Herald
23-04-2025
- The Herald
Slain Umlazi teenager's alleged killer turns against co-accused
The trial of two men charged with murdering Durban Girls' Secondary School pupil Aphiwe Ngcobo at her uMlazi home in May took a dramatic turn in the Durban high court on Tuesday. Sifundo Bongani Bhengu, 39, and Bongani Jali, 24, are charged with housebreaking with intent to steal, robbery with aggravating circumstances and the murder of the teen. They pleaded not guilty. Ngcobo, 17, a grade 11 pupil at the school in Greyville, was found bound and gagged with a deep wound to her chest. Bhengu's legal representative Vicky Nattar, who after cross-examining Aphiwe's father Mondli Ngcobo on Tuesday, presented his client's version of events which pinned Jali as the main culprit. This is in contrast to Jali's affidavit last week in which he said Bhengu — who lived opposite the Ngcobo family — had robbed and killed the teenager. Bhengu said shortly after midnight on May 28 he met Jali with his friend whom he identified as Bruino. He said the pair had asked him for money and he bought food for them. Jali had alleged smoked crystal meth while Bhengu smoked Mandrax. Jali wanted to borrow money as he wanted to fix his Toyota Avanza and also buy tyres. He said Jali then hatched a plan to get the money by breaking into the Ngcobo house, killing Aphiwe and robbing her.
TimesLIVE
22-04-2025
- TimesLIVE
Slain Umlazi teenager's alleged killer turns against co-accused
The trial of two men charged with murdering Durban Girls' Secondary School pupil Aphiwe Ngcobo at her uMlazi home in May took a dramatic turn in the Durban high court on Tuesday. Sifundo Bongani Bhengu, 39, and Bongani Jali, 24, are charged with housebreaking with intent to steal, robbery with aggravating circumstances and the murder of the teen. They pleaded not guilty. Ngcobo, 17, a grade 11 pupil at the school in Greyville, was found bound and gagged with a deep wound to her chest. Bhengu's legal representative Vicky Nattar, who after cross-examining Aphiwe's father Mondli Ngcobo on Tuesday, presented his client's version of events which pinned Jali as the main culprit. This is in contrast to Jali's affidavit last week in which he said Bhengu — who lived opposite the Ngcobo family — had robbed and killed the teenager. Bhengu said shortly after midnight on May 28 he met Jali with his friend whom he identified as Bruino. He said the pair had asked him for money and he bought food for them. Jali had alleged smoked crystal meth while Bhengu smoked Mandrax. Jali wanted to borrow money as he wanted to fix his Toyota Avanza and also buy tyres. He said Jali then hatched a plan to get the money by breaking into the Ngcobo house, killing Aphiwe and robbing her. Bhengu claimed he told Jali about another sister who was also lived there, but he described Jali as being desperate for money and refused to listen to him. He said he didn't know how Jali got access to the house but he later returned with a phone. Bhengu said he started making enquiries about selling it and someone was prepared to pay R300. Bhengu said this money was used to buy more crystal meth. He said he was determined to sell the phone as he knew it was stolen. He said there was a fight because Jali wanted more money and so they drove into the Durban CBD. He said Jali filled the vehicle with petrol while he went to buy food. He said at this stage he was not aware Aphiwe was dead. Bhengu said Jali said they needed to pick up the television set from the Ngcobo household and he then enlisted his friend Sticks who drove a VW polo. He claimed an unsettled Jali had instructed him to fetch the television because he feared being recognised. Jali then instructed them to head to Joseph Nduli (Russel) Street in the CBD where they attempted to sell the television. It was later sold for R3,000 to a foreigner in Mayville. After the transaction they went back to uMlazi where Jali apparently opened up about how he had murdered Aphiwe. He recalled how Aphiwe had put up a fight during her attack and scratched him. They then went their separate ways before Bhengu was arrested in June. Bhengu said he was living at a property in Clermont which he had bought from his father.
IOL News
22-04-2025
- IOL News
Accused in Durban schoolgirl murder trial blame each other in court
The two men accused of killing a Durban school girl, while she was preparing for her grade 11 exams are fingerpointing each other in telling their versions of the incident, at the Durban High Court on Tuesday. The victim Wandile Aphiwe Ngcobo (17) from uMlazi was a pupil at Durban Girls Secondary School. She was allegedly killed by Sifundo Bongani Bhengu (39) and Bongani Freedom Jali (24) both from uMlazi. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ According to the State, Ngcobo was home alone on May 28, 2024, studying for her exams when the men entered her home and robbed and murdered her. Ngcobo's body was gagged and bound in her home in uMlazi. Bhengu and Jali are charged with housebreaking with intent to steal, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and murder. During the cross-examination of Mondli Ngcobo, the father of the school girl, advocate Vicky Nattar put it to him that Bhengu denied all the crimes he is alleged to have committed. Bhengu though his lawyer, Nattar, said he had two houses - one in uMlazi and the other in Clermont. At the time, he was residing in Clermont as he had bought that house from his father. Wandile Aphiwe Ngcobo. | Supplied 'It is my instructions that Jali drives a Toyota Avanza and he uses it to commute school children. He is popular and well-known among schoolchildren. On the day of the incident he (Jali) insisted that he used his charm to enter your (Ngcobo) premises,' Nattar put it to Ngcobo. Ngcobo asked Nattar how he was supposed to answer that. After a short break, Nattar put the version of his client Bhengu. Bhengu said he went to uMlazi at midnight on 28 May, and he met with Jali and his friend Bruino and they asked him for money. Bhengu bought them food. He said Jali wanted to stay with him because he was intoxicated from smoking crystal methamphetamine. Bhengu said at that time he smoked Mandrax. Additionally, Jali borrowed money from Bhengu because he wanted to repair the tires of his Avanza. However, Bhengu said he did not lend him money because he was renovating his two houses. From left Sifundo Bongani Bhengu and Bongani Freedom Jali they are both accused of killing Wandile Aphiwe Ngcobo 'Jali decided to make a plan on the morning of May 28. He waited for the father (Ngcobo) and the younger sister to leave,' Bhengu added. He said he told Jali that there was another sister in the house. Bhengu said Jali was desperate for the money and he did not listen to him. He said he watched him while he stood from the water meter of his property in uMlazi. 'I don't know how he gained access to the house, but he was there for 15 to 20 minutes," he said. He said Jali came back with a cellphone that he bought from him for R300 as he knew it was stolen. Bhengu said Jali wanted him to make a plan for the TV that he had stolen, and he did by calling his friend Sticks. He said the three of them and another unknown male took the television from Ngcobo's home and went to sell it at Russell Street in Durban to a foreigner for R3000. He said Jali paid for petrol for the car and gave him R400. 'At this point, I didn't know that he had murdered the girl,' he said. He said afterwards they went to the U section at uMlazi and that is when Jali told him that he killed the girl. Judge Garth Harrison asked Nattar for clarity on the version he had put. He asked where the portion about Jali boasting to use his charms to gain access to Ngcobo's home fitted into this new version of events. Nattar tried to explain it. 'I want you to take an instruction and you tell me,' said Judge Harrison. Bhengu confirmed his version. Last week Jali had told the court that he was intoxicated and that Bhengu was the one who entered the Ngcobo household while he was at Bhengu's home. The gallery in this case is always full of church members, ANC members, and community members. During the proceedings, Judge Harrison has had to warn the gallery to not interfere with the trial as they would make noise.
