Durban’s Glebelands Eight hitmen, including former detective, finally convicted

Judge Nkosinathi Chili read his judgment on the Glebelands Eight into the record at the Pietermaritzburg High Court this week over 2½ days. It came after more than 70 court days, with protracted delays due to Covid-19 lockdowns and the inability of some of the accused to pay their legal counsel. The trial started in August 2019.

The State revealed at the start of proceedings that year that three potential witnesses to some of the killings had been murdered, and that veteran State prosecutor advocate Dorian Paver had been allocated protection after receiving death threats. Security at the court was tight, particularly at the start of the trial, with the gallery cleared after attempts by spectators and family members of the accused to intimidate witnesses.

One of the witnesses told the court that he had been on the run and in hiding since he fled the hostel in 2016, the consequence of being shot in the arm for “disturbing” the “hitmen” — Mdweshu, Khayelihle Mbuthuma, Vukani Mcobothi, Eugene Wonderboy Hlophe, Ncomekile Ntshangase, Mbuyiselwa Mkhize, Mondli Mthethwa and Bongani Mbhele.

The State alleged the men were part of the hostel’s feared Hlophe gang, led by Mdweshu and Bonga Hlophe (shot dead at Glebelands in 2015). 

Mdweshu was convicted of the attempted murders of rival Mthembu gang members Bongani Penuel Mthembu, William Mthembu (the leader of the gang, gunned down outside a supermarket the following year), Mandlakayise Jacob Dyanthi and Lucas Mbekelwa, during an attack at the notorious R Block of the sprawling hostel complex in 2014. 

Supporters of the Glebelands Eight previously told Daily Maverick they believed the men were “targeted” for prosecution because they were part of the gang that did not enjoy police and political protection, as those of the Mthembu gang allegedly had.

Nevertheless, it became clear at the outset of the trial that if there was only one charge that would stick as far as Mdweshu — accused number one — was concerned, it would be the Block R shootout. The attack took place at a garage near that block on the night of 19 August 2014. It was in this area, the State said, that Mdweshu, brandishing an illegally purchased R5, was injured by retaliatory fire from William Mthembu and consequently left a blood sample that was matched via DNA.

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The court heard that Mdweshu purchased the R5 that he used in the attack from a police colleague. Various witnesses said Mdweshu was known to carry the “big gun” and fire it into the air at the hostel to intimidate residents into handing over “collections” — essentially protection money. It was this money that the Hlophe and Mthembu gangs fought over. One witness described how Mdweshu would cradle the gun while calling it “beautiful”.

The trial was complex, with several witnesses clearly involved in some of the crimes the eight had been charged for, or involved in other criminal activities at the hostel, or they were related to several of the accused. 

Mdweshu was allegedly not the only dirty cop involved in the crimes at the hostel. The court heard testimony from witnesses that they were only willing to make statements years after the attempted murders, murders and extortion because of mistrust of officers at the Umlazi police station. This only changed when Colonel Bhekumuzi Sikhakhane and his team took over the case and managed to resuscitate investigations.

All the accused were acquitted of racketeering, a crime usually associated with an organised crime syndicate. The State had unsuccessfully argued that this made all the men jointly responsible for the seven attempted murders and nine murders committed between 2014 and 2016.

Mdweshu was further cleared of managing the criminal enterprise as well as charges of extortion.

While six of the murder charges were pinned on the various accused, the Umlazi murders of Deric Ncayiyana on 27 March 2015 and Sipho Ndovela on 18 May 2015 as well as the murder of Themba Pina, who was killed in Umbilo on 5 June 2015, remain unsolved.

The matter has been postponed to 16 January 2023 for sentencing.

How the charges stack up