Lusikisiki Massacre Trial Postponed for Further Investigations As 8 Appear in Court

Lusikisiki Massacre Trial Postponed for Further Investigations As 8 Appear in Court

  • The Lusikisiki mass murder trial has been postponed following the appearance of the eight suspects in court
  • The court postponed the case until 10 March amid further investigations after the last suspect's arrest on 5 January
  • The eight accused abandoned bail ahead of the trial in the Mthatha High Court sitting in the Lusikisiki Circuit Court
8 Lusikisiki shootings accused appear in court, trial start postponed
The trial of eight men arrested and charged with killing 18 people in Lusiksiki has been postponed. Image: @ewnupdates
Source: Twitter

Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist at Briefly News. A Head of Current Affairs, Mametela reported live from the presidential inauguration of Cyril Ramaphosa and has written articles on politics, crime, courts, accidents and other topics, including sports, at The Herald and Opera News SA, among others.

EASTERN CAPE — The highly-anticipated trial of eight men accused of killing 18 people in Lusikisiki, meant to get underway in the Lusikisiki Magistrate's Court on Monday, 17 February 2025, has been postponed.

The accused appeared shackled and chained during a brief appearance in the dock. It follows their arrests between 7 October 2024 and 5 January.

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Lusikisiki massacre trial put on ice

Briefly News reported that Songezo Vuma became the eighth and last suspect police caught after arresting him in Qonce, on a bus en route to Cape Town.

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He was formally charged ahead standing in court on 7 January.

After over three months on the run, he joined seven others who allegedly stormed two neighbouring homesteads at Nyathi village in the Ngobozana area and shot and killed the gatherers during a bloody massacre on 28 September.

Watch a video of their appearance posted to the @Newzroom405 X page:

The State said Vuma's arrest in January necessitated further investigations.

The case will be transferred to the Mthatha High Court, sitting in the Lusikisiki Circuit Court, where it will commence on 10 March.

Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge has appointed a presiding judge.

Vuma, 20; Myekethe, 45; Aphiwe Ndende, 25; Lwando Antony Abi, 31; Bonga Hintsa, 31; Mawethu Nomdlembu, 36; Zenande Paya, 38; and Mzukisi Ndamase, 46, face additional charges of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

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Myekethe was arrested at his home in Mthimde Location, Mamfengwini area, on 7 October. Police traced Ndende and Hintsa to Port Shepstone on 16 October, while nabbing Abi in East London the same day.

8 Lusikisiki shootings accused appear in court, trial start postponed
The trial of eight men linked to the 2024 Lusikisiki massacre will commence on 10 March 2025 in the Mthatha High Court. Images: @MDNnewss
Source: Twitter

The arrests of Nomdlembu and Paya followed in Flagstaff on 17 October, with police teams recovering three AK47s and a 243 Steyr Mannlicher rifle.

Ndamase, the alleged orchestrator, was apprehended in prison, where he is serving a life sentence for murder and robbery.

The eight have since abandoned their bail applications.

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In a related story, Briefly News reported that a man arrested for strangling Ayabonga Mjilo and burying her body in his backyard in Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal, appeared in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Monday, 6 January.

Mfanafuthi Kunene faces kidnapping and murder charges after Mjilo, 21, was last seen alive and in his company before the gruesome discovery. The pair were reportedly seen leaving together from Capello, a popular restaurant in Umhlanga, north of Durban, in the early hours of Monday, 23 December 2024.

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Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tshepiso Mametela avatar

Tshepiso Mametela (Head of Current Affairs Desk) Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience writing for online and print publications. He is the Head of Current Affairs at Briefly News. He was a mid-level reporter for The Herald, a senior sports contributor at Opera News SA, and a general reporter for Caxton Local Media’s Bedfordview and Edenvale News and Joburg East Express community titles. He has attended media workshops organised by the Wits Justice Project and Wits Centre for Journalism, including crime and court reporting. Email: tshepiso.mametela@briefly.co.za