Lusikisiki Mass Murder Mastermind Asks Not To Be Charged As 7 Appear in Court

• Seven suspects linked to the Lusikisiki massacre in September appeared in court on 26 November
• The men face 18 murders and several unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition charges
• The alleged mastermind, Mzukisi Ndamase, asked the court to withdraw the charges against him
• Police spokesperson Lt-Col Siphokazi Mawisa told Briefly News an eighth suspect was being sought

LUSIKISIKI — What is now the seven Lusikisiki mass murder accused made their latest appearance in the Lusikisiki Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, 26 November 2024.

They were appearing in the dock together for the first time since the first suspect, parolee Siphosoxolo Myekethe's arrest on 7 October 2024.

Lusikisiki killings mastermind pleads to court

The group is charged with murdering 18 people at two homesteads during preparations for a cleansing ceremony — for a mother and her daughter killed the previous year — at Nyathi village in the Ngobozana area on 28 September.

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Myekethe, 45; Aphiwe Ndende, 25; Lwando Antony Shakes, 31; Bonga Hintsa, 31; Mawethu Nomdlembu, 36; Zenande Paya, 38; and Mzukisi Ndamase, 46, face additional charges of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

Police arrested Nomdlembu and Paya on 17 October in Flagstaff, 43km from Lusikisiki, and recovered three AK47s and a 243 Steyr Mannlicher rifle, which were positively linked to the killings in which five others were injured.

Ndamase, the alleged orchestrator, was apprehended at a correctional facility where he is serving a life sentence for murder and robbery, appearing in court briefly on 31 October before abandoning his bid for bail.

The case against all the accused, who had since all abandoned bail, was then remanded to 26 November for further investigations.

During Tuesday's appearance, Ndamase asked the court to withdraw the 18 counts of murder against him, saying he had been in prison since 2007.

"I would like for the 18 counts of murders I've been charged with to be withdrawn. I've been in prison since 2007 and have not been let out from the state facility once since then," said Ndamase.

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The state declined his request, noting he would be prosecuted on all charges.

Watch the video here:

Police spokesperson Lt-Col Siphokazi Mawisa told Briefly News that the search continued for an eight suspect, Songezo "Mashiya" Vuma, 20. A R50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and prosecution has been offered.

"He is the eighth [only] outstanding suspect," said Mawisa.

Ndamase, who has chosen to represent himself, will return to court on 12 December for trial preparedness confirmation.

The trial will be heard in the Lusikisiki Magistrate's Court over two weeks from 17 February 2025.

Police arrest 3 for Lusikisiki shootings

In related news, Briefly News reported that police made a breakthrough with the arrest of three suspects linked to the Lusikisiki murders.

The arrests on 16 October in Port Shepstone followed the public release of their names and photos one day earlier.

Source: Briefly News