11-08-2025
Alleged hitman linked to Prasa regional manager's death appears in court
A KwaZulu-Natal man who is alleged to have carried out a hit on Passenger Rail Agency (Prasa) regional manager Jacob Khoaele on January 22 made a brief appearance in the Durban magistrate's court on Monday.
Khoaele, 53, died in a hail of bullets in his vehicle on Shelbourne Avenue, La Lucia.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said on Saturday detectives had made a breakthrough in the case when they arrested a fourth suspect in connection with Khoaele's death.
Mthandeni Cele, 24, was arrested at the Scottburgh magistrate's court where he was appearing in an unrelated case of house robbery and attempted murder involving a homeowner who was shot and his vehicle stolen on November 11 2024.
He faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder and murder. He told the court he plans to enlist his own private legal representative.
Netshiunda said the murder investigation was handed to provincial serious and violent crime, murder and robbery detectives who cracked the case and arrested twins Vukani and Vukile Mchunu aged 35 on July 27.
Investigations also pointed to Sandile Sakhile Ngcobo, 38, as the alleged mastermind behind the killing.
Ngcobo made his first appearance on August 4 and is also an accused in a triple murder and attempted murder case in which he allegedly shot dead three people accused of murder in Msinsini in 2021.
'The three had just appeared in court when they were shot dead in a vehicle in Hibberdene on June 27 2024. A passer-by also sustained a gunshot wound during the incident,' said Netshiunda.
Magistrate Ashwin Singh rolled the matter over to Tuesday and urged Cele to have his lawyer present.
TimesLIVE
