Sipho Gcaba (40) was visiting a friend at Sakhile Location when he was approached by three armed males who demanded his car keys. Gcaba refused and was stabbed on the chest and collpased. The suspects took the vehicle and drove away in an unknown direction. Gcaba was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on arrival. The vehicle was later found abandoned in the Melmoth area.

The matter was reported to Nkandla police station and charges of carjacking and murder were opened for investigation. An intensive investigation led to the arrest of Sibonangaye Shavn Hlophe (20), Khayelihle Thabiso (23), and Bongani Griffiths Ngobeni (28), who appeared in the Nkandla Magistrate’s Court on 21 October 2021. They were granted bail of R7000-00 each and the case was remanded to 5 November 2021. Hlophe and Ngobeni absconded their bail and have been on the run. The Nkandla Regional Court has issued a warrant of their arrests.

Another wanted suspect on the run is Khayelihle Maxwell Zuke (49) who was granted bail of R5000-00 by the Nkandla Magistrate’s Court for two counts of murder, attempted murder and robbery. Zuke was arrested with his eleven co-accused who were remanded in custody. The court granted Zuke bail however his co-accused were denied bail. The Nkandla Regional Court has issued warrant of his arrest since he failed to attend court proceedings.

It is alleged that on 9 August 2021 at 01:00, police received information about the suspects planning to commit robbery at a business premises in Nkandla. The police wasted no time and proceeded to the scene where they spotted three vehicles with 15 passengers. When the suspects spotted the police vehicles they opened fire and the police returned fire, fatally wounding two suspects. The remaining suspects attempted to flee the scene but lost control of their vehicles and were arrested. The vehicles were searched and four unlicensed firearms and explosives were recovered. They were arrested and charged accordingly.

Source: South African Police Service