KwaMashu Sangoma Arrested Over 2020 Murders of ANCYL Member and 2 Cops

• A well-known KwaMashu traditional healer was arrested on Friday, 24 July 2026, over his alleged role in the murders of three men in 2020
• Investigators believe the suspect arranged the killings after suspecting a Metro Police officer was having an affair with his wife
• Five other suspects have already been charged in connection with the case, which was cracked using ballistic evidence

KWAZULU-NATAL - A traditional healer from KwaMashu, KwaZulu-Natal, was arrested on Friday, 24 July 2026, after investigators linked him to the murders of an ANC Youth League member and two eThekwini Metro Police officers. The arrest came after years of work by the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team.

According to KZN police spokesperson Brigadier Robert Netshiunda, the traditional healer allegedly arranged the killings because he believed Metro Police officer Lindokuhle Madonsela was romantically involved with his wife.

A case of mistaken identity

Madonsela was the intended target from the start. However, the alleged hitmen shot the wrong man first. In May 2020, ANCYL member Thamsanqa Kingdom Gcabashe was gunned down outside his home in Section G, Mpumalanga Township, in what investigators believe was a case of mistaken identity.

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Rather than stop, the suspects reportedly reorganised themselves and went after Madonsela a second time. Just 14 days after Gcabashe's death, gunmen ambushed Madonsela as he arrived for work. Officer Ndumiso Thusi had gone to collect him that morning when the attackers opened fire on their vehicle. Both officers were killed at the scene.

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Ballistic evidence cracks the case

What ultimately tied both crime scenes together was forensic work. Netshiunda confirmed that ballistic evidence connected the two shootings, giving investigators the thread they needed to build a case spanning six years.

Five other suspects, Fana Shabalala, Zamokuhle Nyandu, Mthokozisi Ntando Blose, Holy Shozi, and Sandile Msezane, had already been arrested and charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder before the traditional healer's arrest.

The alleged mastermind is expected to make his first appearance at the Hammarsdale Magistrate's Court on Monday, 27 July 2026.

3 Briefly News articles on traditional healers and murder cases

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• Two Mozambican traditional healers have been arrested in connection with the horrific 2023 murder of Gontse Makhubela.
• The police in the Free State province have arrested a 38-year-old traditional healer for murder and theft charges.
• A 55-year-old man and a 38-year-old traditional healer have been arrested after police discovered the decapitated bodies of the victims.

Source: Briefly News