Former Durban detective denies being the leader of a gang of hitmen

‘No such thing happened.”

“It’s lies.”

“That is a lie.”

“The State is lying.”

“[The witness] must have been dreaming it”, said Accused No 1, Bhekukwazi Mdweshu, as his advocate, Martin Krog, led him through the State’s allegations on Thursday.  

Mdweshu is the first of the so-called Glebelands Eight to take the stand in his own defence pertaining to multiple counts of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, attempted murder and racketeering. 

“Accused One has elected to testify,” said Krog at the start of proceedings.  

The 40-year-old and most of his co-accused were arrested in December 2017 and have been imprisoned since, as the trial — that began in August 2019 — lumbers on. Covid-19 restrictions have caused lengthy delays.  

Mdweshu kept a room at Block 52 of the sprawling, violent complex and later another residence at Block T. It is from Block 52 that he allegedly led what was known as the Hlophe Gang, with Bonga Hlophe, a “known hitman” operating from Glebelands.

Hlophe was shot dead in his hostel room in October 2015. 

The group would allegedly extort money from Glebelands residents — estimates put the population at anything between 18,000 and 22,000 — via a protection racket, with the takings being used to buy illegal firearms, among other items.  

Krog led Mdweshu through all of the charges, but it is evident that the State has a particularly strong case for counts four to seven of the indictment — the attempted murders of alleged rival gang leader and extortionist William Mthembu, and Bongani Mthembu, Mandlakayise Dyanthi and Lucas Mbekelwa, all Block R residents. 

It is the alleged incidents leading to these counts that Mdweshu expanded on most in court. 

The attempted murders took place on 19 August 2014 at an outside garage at Block R, with four witnesses having placed a wounded Mdweshu and some of his co-accused at the scene. The State has identified blood found at the scene on an empty bottle of Sunfoil oil as belonging to Mdweshu, and claims he was wounded as a result of retaliatory gunfire from the Mthembu gang.   

Mdweshu admitted earlier in the trial that he had indeed been shot on the night in question, but said on Thursday that this was not because he was part of the gang trying to attack Mthembu and company. Mdweshu said he was shot while trying to make his way to his T Section residence. 

The Glebelands Eight make their way to the holding cells at the Pietermaritzburg High Court. They are facing multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. (Photo: Mandla Langa)