HE SHOT 2 OF THE VICTIMS AGAIN - INDVUNA

MBABANE – The Indvuna of Luyengweni, Dumisa Ginindza, alleged that after shooting the three men, Ntuthuko Dlamini allegedly went over two of them and shot them again as they lay on the  ground.

Ginindza was the first witness to testify yesterday. He alleged that Ntuthuko wanted to ensure that Andreas Tsabedze and Sikhulu Shongwe were dead. Simon Dlamini died at Mbabane Government Hospital where he was receiving treatment. Ginindza narrated that on September 7, 2020, he was at the Luyengweni Royal Kraal, together with members of the inner council, elders and princes (Sizwe Dlamini, Peter Mkhonta, Sihle Dlamini, Bhekokwakhe Mkhabela, Big Boi Maseko, Lokhokha Nhlengetfwa, Fanyana Ndzimandze, Themba Tsabedze, the late, Sikhulu Shongwe and Simon Dlamini). Ginindza said they proceeded to Mhlabubovu to officially hand over a piece of land to one Mbongiseni Dlamini. He said the land was under Prince Lembelele’s chiefdom.

Food

“While waiting to be served food, Ntuthuko and his three boys arrived. They were travelling in Ntuthuko’s (Toyota) Fortuner. They parked the car on the other side of a canal and crossed a footbridge to the other side. “When they arrived, Ntuthuko asked what we were doing there and no one responded. He asked again, and still no one answered him. He made a call to Mngometulu (Bhunya Police Station Commander) and asked him to rush where we were. He told Mngometulu that if he did not come promptly, he would kill some people. “Ntuthuko started calling us names, saying we are timfucuta (useless). Sihle got into an argument with him. While they exchanged words, I suddenly heard a gunshot,” said the indvuna. Principal Crown Counsel Ncamsile Masuku asked Ginindza if they responded when the former minister called them names. He said they told him not to call them timfucuta.

Argued

“When Sihle and Ntuthuko argued, the others tried to calm the situation. (Simon) Dlamini went where they were pushing each other and I then heard a gunshot. Ntuthuko shot him,” alleged the indvuna. “After the shot was fired, what happened?” enquired Masuku. The indvuna said: “I then realised that he was carrying a real gun. I thought it was a toy gun. I saw Simon going backwards and he was bleeding. He sat against a rock and I saw blood on it. “There was also Sikhulu Shongwe who, when he heard the gunshot, fired a warning shot in the air. Ntuthuko turned around and shot Sikhulu in the abdomen. Sikhulu was about a metre away from Ntuthuko. He then shot (Andreas) Tsabedze and he fell behind me.” Masuku asked: “What had Tsabedze done?” Ginindza said Tsabedze had not done anything and he was not even armed. “Then Ntuthuko went to Sikhulu Shongwe and lifted his jacket to ascertain if he was dead and shot him in the back. From there he went to Tsabedze, who lay face down. He turned him over to confirm if he was dead, and shot him again.

Satisfied

“The other people ran away but I remained there alone. Bhekwako asked him if he was not satisfied with all the people he had killed already. Ntuthuko went back to look for the empty cartridges and collected them. He left with his boys and said he was going to report the matter at Bhunya Police Station,” Ginindza further narrated. When asked by Masuku what Simon had done before he was shot, the indvuna said he was not aware if he had done anything. He told the court that all he knew was that he was shot. He said Simon carried a knobkerrie on the day and he had put it next to him. “Did the deceased persons have a conversation with the accused person before they were shot?” asked Masuku. Ginindza said: “Words were exchanged when he said his boys must spill the food that was there. (Sikhulu) Shongwe said that should not happen because the people had spent their money buying the food.”

Shocked

Masuku also asked the witness if Tsabedze said anything to the accused person. “He didn’t say anything. Tsabedze was close to the accused person when he was shot. He was just behind Shongwe. I can’t be sure how many times he was shot because I was shocked,” said the indvuna. Ginindza was also asked how many times Simon was shot and he told the court that it was three times. He alleged that when Sikhulu was shot and he fell to the ground, he was shot again as he lay motionless on the ground. The three boys who arrived in the company of Ntuthuko, according to Ginindza, were just standing there when Ntuthuko ‘was busy going up and down’. The witness also showed the court the pistol that was allegedly used by the former minister in the commission of the offences. Meanwhile, Scenes of Crime officer Mpendulo Babongile Dlamini, based at Malkerns Police Station, told the court that at the crime scene, he found two bodies, pots containing food and foam packs. Dlamini handed a photo album he compiled as part of his evidence.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: