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After years of delays, the trial of eight men accused of the murders has exposed how some police officers were complicit in the killings
There was a palpable shift in the demeanour of eight men charged with seven counts of murder and nine of attempted murder involving Umlazi’s Glebelands Hostel as the first session of their trial drew to a close in the Pietermaritzburg High Court this week.
When the sitting started on August 26, accused number one, former Durban Central plain clothes detective Bhekukwazi Mdweshu, sat next to his co-accused with his head high, chin jutting out, listening intently to crime scene investigators.
There were also frequent smiles and gestures from all of the men to family members who had filled the public gallery.
But things changed when proceedings were closed to the public due to the in-camera testimony of four witnesses.
The last two witnesses in particular – who by their own evidence appeared to be complicit in some of the violence and were possibly once accomplices – described a climate of fear exacerbated by frequent brutality that culminated in an alarming disregard for human life, allegedly at the hands of the clean-cut and handsome Mdweshu and his crew.
The various defence counsels have taken full advantage of the flawed evidence of witnesses, one of whom was previously charged with attempted murder – the case was later withdrawn – and one who has been accused by some at the Glebelands hostel of murder, although the man insists the allegation was stoked by some of the accused.
Advocate Martin Krog is acting for Mdweshu and his cousin Ncomekile Ntshangase, while Legal Aid SA advocate Dianne Franklin is representing Wonderboy Hlophe, the brother of the once feared hitman Bonga Hlophe, who is now dead.
Legal Aid SA attorney Xolani Sindane has his hands full representing the remainder of the accused.
The state’s veteran prosecutor, advocate Dorian Paver, has meticulously led the witnesses in court, building his case, and together with lead investigator Colonel Bhekumuzi Sikhakhane and his team, worked hard to protect the witnesses.
One witness has been in state protection since 2017, the other three had been moved around prior to the start of the trial, with only Sikhakhane and his team knowing their whereabouts.
The empty court gallery has been peppered with heavily armed police and prison guards – 10 on most days – with others situated in the foyer.
The measures taken by Paver and Sikhakhane are hardly excessive – witnesses to the Glebelands carnage are known to be snuffed out, a bullet to the head appearing to be the preferred method of killing them.
Almost on a daily basis throughout the first session, it was not uncommon for Paver and Krog’s faces to flush as they briefly tore into one another and then took their seats after Judge Nkosinathi Chili played mediator.
The trial has been emotionally draining for all the parties involved, exacerbated by the witnesses’ details about the violence, the apparent lack of remorse for any of the crimes allegedly committed by the accused, and the nonchalance exhibited before and after killings.
The media frenzy that surrounded the first week of the case had disappeared by week two.
At that stage, Krog became so incensed with photographers and journalists jostling to capture images of the accused that he lashed out because he couldn’t get to talk to Mdweshu as he stood in the dock next to his alleged cohorts.
“These men are on trial [for a possible life sentence] and you people just don’t seem to give a s**t! It’s unacceptable,” Krog said.
He apologised the following day.
Some SA Police Services Umlazi members were verbally lashed by the witnesses throughout the first sitting, with two names in particular being mentioned frequently. One of those officers has been listed as a witness.
The court also heard of cops on the take, cops making evidence – and allegedly witnesses – disappear and cops supplying illegal weapons in exchange for cash.
The court heard that cops told a witness that he had “disturbed the hitmen” and of cops not processing crime scenes according to the book.
- Advocate Martin Krog conceding that former top cop Bhekukwazi Mdweshu was shot in the hip on the night of a violent attack at the hostel in 2014, but the injury was not because he was involved in the attack. The court is yet to hear how Mdweshu was shot. The attack led to four charges of attempted murder being levelled against Mdweshu and some of his co-accused.
- One witness who testified about the same attack said he saw Mdweshu “limping” and “fleeing the scene with a big rifle”.Another witness said he was told on the night of the same incident that Mdweshu had been injured during the attack.
- Another witness said he was told that Mdweshu had been injured and saw blood “dripping” from the former top cop.
- The same witness said Mdweshu preferred to have hits take place when he was on duty.
- According to the same witness, Mdweshu was allegedly responsible for buying firearms and ammunition. The weapons included an R5, AK47, “pump gun” and a revolver.
- Mdweshu allegedly oversaw the extortion of “protection money” from residents at Block 52 of Glebelands hostel, which was then used to buy the firearms.
- Mdweshu was described as a “teacher” by one of the witnesses, who said the former detective would allegedly demonstrate to his cohorts and the witness how to fire the R5, which was allegedly bought for R9 000 from another dirty cop.
- A witness testified that some of the extorted cash was also used by some of the accused to buy muthi to protect against attacks.
- Mdweshu allegedly drafted memorandums, pretending to be from residents, which were signed and handed over to authorities by a former block secretary, demanding that some of his rivals be evicted from the hostel, according to a witness.
- Mdweshu also allegedly accessed the digital police database to find out when a man who could tie him and his crew to the murders would be appearing in court for another matter. The man was gunned down in 2015 as he exited the courthouse.
- To date, according to Colonel Bhekumuzi Sikhakhane, “more than 100” deaths could be linked to Glebelands hostel.
- The witnesses only made official statements about the violence at Glebelands hostel years after some of the incidents, because they did not trust the local police. It was only when Sikhakhane and his team took the cases from Umlazi police station that the witnesses could be convinced to cooperate.
- One of the witnesses was related to one of the accused, and the same witness’s cousin was a known hitman. – Des Erasmus
Mdweshu, Khayelihle Mbuthuma, Vukani Mcobothi, Eugene Hlophe, Ntshangase, Mbuyiselwa Mkhize, Mondli Mthethwa and Bongani Mbhele will be kept at Durban’s Westville prison until the trial resumes in March next year, when it is expected to run for another six weeks.
Will the trial of the eight men accused in the Glebelands hostel murders end the cycle of violence?
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