TAXI MAN HELPED NGUBENI WITHDRAW CASH

MBABANE - Murder suspect-cum-State witness, Simphiwe Tata Ngubeni, was chauffeured to the bank and bus rank by a taxi man after the shooting of Victor Gamedze.

This transpired at the High Court on Thursday during the Gamedze-murder trial before Judge Nkosinathi Maseko. Sipho Shongwe has been charged with Gamedze’s murder which occurred on January 14, 2018 at Galp Filling Station in Ezulwini.
The State has so far led 25 of its 33 witnesses and the taxi man, Mduduzi Gama, gave evidence as Prosecution Witness No.18.
Gama, who was led in evidence by the State-instructed Advocate Michael Hellens, told the court that he was requested by the Manager of Shield Guest House, Ntomibifuthi Masuku, to take Ngubeni to town.

This was after Ngubeni had allegedly walked a distance covering several kilometres from a forest where he had allegedly been instructed by his companions to look after a certain girl after the murder of Gamedze.

abandoned

Masuku earlier on told the court that Ngubeni informed her that he had walked back to the guest house after being abandoned by Mbusi ‘Ncaza’  Nkosi and Sandile ‘Dzodzo’ Zikalala/Luthango.
After the murder of Gamedze, a Toyota Yaris was found abandoned at Lundzi.

A vehicle of a similar make, according to the testimony of Masuku, was one of the cars, which had been used by the trio of Nkosi, Ngubeni and ‘Dzodzo’ during their stay at the guest house between January 11, 2018 and January 14, 2018 when Gamedze was brutally killed.
The other vehicle, according to Masuku, was a red VW Golf with foreign registration numbers.

When Ngubeni returned to the guest house where he arrived at 5am on January 15, 2018, he informed Masuku, to whom he had been proposing love, that he had been abandoned by his companions.

He also told Masuku that he did not have money yet he wanted to go back home to the Republic of South Africa.
Masuku said Ngubeni phoned his two wives and asked them to send him money for transport. 
His wives are said to have transferred an amount of R1 000 to Masuku’s account.

withdraw

Since she was busy on the day, Masuku called the taxi man to take Ngubeni to town and assist him withdraw the money to proceed on his journey home.
In her evidence, she said she transferred a sum of E800 to Gama’s mobile phone via eWallet. Gama was instructed to deduct his fees from the E800.
Gama informed the court that he had a good working relationship with Masuku, who denied that she was aware of the plot to kill Gamedze being hatched at the guest house.

Gama said he went to the guest house as per Masuku’s request and found Ngubeni.
He submitted that he took Ngubeni to town and they stopped at the First National Bank (FNB) main branch automated teller machines (ATMs).
He stated that he withdrew the money, deducted his fees and gave the balance to Ngubeni.

Advocate Hellens asked him if he and the suspect spoke along the way.
Gama said Ngubeni, who sat directly behind him in the taxi, was silent throughout the trip to town and the only time he spoke was when he asked how much he would deduct from the E800.

He informed the court that from the bank, he drove him to the bus rank. Gama said he would not recognise Ngubeni if he saw him again.
The trial will proceed on September 4 and 5, 2019. Other dates that have been set for the matter are September 21-25, 2019.

On Monday Shongwe will be at the Manzini Magistrates Court for the extradition matter before Principal Magistrate David Khumalo.
Shongwe’s defence team consists of Advocate Laurence Hordes who has been instructed by Lucky Howe and Ben J Simelane.

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