Durban — After making their first appearance in the Durban High Court facing 15 murder charges in February, two alleged hit men will stand trial in April in the Durban Magistrate’s Court along with two others charged with the attempted murders of three Cato Manor police sergeants.
Sbonelo “Madanon” Wiseman Shangase, 32, Thalente Mkhize, 36, Mcabangeleni Mkhize, 22, and Lunga Floyd Ngcobo, 31, are alleged to have shot at the officers in May last year.
Two of the officers escaped with no injuries in the shoot-out, while one was critically wounded by a gunshot to his chest which punctured his lung, that saw him admitted into intensive care.
It’s alleged that on the day of the shooting during a patrol operation in Cato Manor, the officers had spotted a suspicious vehicle with no registration, and when they approached it and asked the occupants to open a window, they began firing at the police, who returned fire.
One of the shooters was also wounded, and their vehicle was later found abandoned in Newlands East. The trial into the attempted murders were meant to get under way on Monday; however, Magistrate Sharon Marks adjourned it to April.
“There are too many matters on the roll. It is adjourned to April 8 for trial. It has been set for four days except the 11th. To the witnesses here, thank you for coming; apologies for the inconvenience,” said the magistrate.
All four remain in custody. Thalente was arrested in June 2021, Mcabangeleni in June 2022, and Shangase and Ngcobo in July last year.
In February, Shangase and Thalente will make their first appearance in the Durban High Court after being served their indictment in October in the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court.
In this matter, they (Shangase and Thalente) face 28 counts, 15 of which are murders that include a mass shooting where six people were killed in Inanda in January last year.
The murders the two accused face relate to the June 2021 murder of Brendan Thandroyen, his daughter Bianca Africa, and his brother Craig Thandroyen, who were shot and killed on Mazeppa Road in the Point area.
The two brothers died instantly while Africa, a matric pupil at Northlands Girls’ High School, died later that day after being rushed to hospital. In January 2022, the two accused are alleged to have shot and killed six people in Amaoti in Inanda.
Wandile Fanaphi, 17, Qhaphelani Mkhovu, 20, Mlondi Getane, 22, Mlondi Kunene, 25, Lindo Sphambo, 22, and Philip Hinsa were gunned down execution-style. Fanaphi and Mkhovu had just begun their matric year.
The duo are also accused of killing Overport businessman Zeyn Moideen, who was shot and killed on Brickfield Road in 2022. They are also charged with the killing of Moideen’s neighbour, Shaheed Moodel, which happened just weeks before Moideen’s murder, in what is thought to be a case of mistaken identity with the intended target being Moideen.
In September 2021 the accused are alleged to have kidnapped Phakamani Cwele from Inanda and killed him on Lwandle Drive in KwaDabeka.
They are also alleged to have killed Patrick Nhlanhla Goge in Inanda on August 7, 2021, as well as Njabulo Bongani Shongwe and Zolani Goodman Mbuthuma in Inanda on September 2, 2021.
WhatsApp your views on this story to 071 485 7995.
Daily News