Durban — A 22-year-old who watched as his friend was beaten to death after they were accused of hijacking an e-hailing driver, was granted bail in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Luzuko Thabiso Mbele stands accused of hijacking and kidnapping eThekwini Municipality employee and e-hailing driver Sphamandla Dlamini.
Dlamini is accused along with another city employee, an e-hailing driver, an ADT security employee and a street vendor of kidnapping Mbele, Aphelele Bushman and another person and murdering Bushman, whose body was dumped in Molweni.
Dlamini, Sihle Mliba, Nkosinathi Phungula, Mxolisi Shezi and Phakamani Mtolo were each granted R5 000 bail in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
The five are alleged to have kidnapped Bushman, assaulting him and, when he died, dumping his body in a bush in Molweni last month.
The State alleges that Dlamini had received a request for a ride from Wyebank to Durban. When he arrived two men got into the car; one sat behind Dlamini and the other in the front passenger seat.
It’s alleged that after driving a short distance the passenger behind Dlamini grabbed him by the neck and a gun was pointed at his head, forcing him to stop the car.
Dlamini was allegedly forced to sit on the floor of the car and one of the two men drove to Kwadabeka. When the car stopped two more men got in, one of them being Mbele.
Dlamini was dumped in Lwandle Drive near the Dumisani Makhaye Highway. He got help and phoned his friend, who was also an e-hailing driver, and the two went to report the hijacking to the Pinetown SAPS.
His vehicle was recovered the same day.
The following day Dlamini and the friend who picked him up after the hijacking were preparing to fetch his vehicle from the police when his friend received a request on his e-hailing app from a person called Kwanele whom he believed was the same person that had lured him to the place where he picked up the men who hijacked him.
Dlamini is alleged to have contacted his friends and they went to the place where Kwanele had asked to be picked up. When they arrived three people were waiting, one of them being Bushman. The three were questioned about the hijacked car and the whereabouts of the keys.
“At first they denied knowing about it but after being assaulted they showed them the car keys. Bushman was assaulted and he died as a result. The accused took the body and dumped it,” the State alleged.
Mbhele’s matter was adjourned to October 12 for further investigation. He intends to plead not guilty, saying that he was not involved in Dlamini’s hijacking.
Daily News