Family praises Umngeni Mayor Pappas for progress in murder case
uMngeni Mayor Chris Pappas with Nhlalayenza Ndlovu, the uMngeni Municipality chief whip and DA councillor who was gunned down in December 2023.
Image: Independent Media archives
The family of an induna who was killed in an execution style in broad daylight in front of his children two years ago has commended uMngeni Municipality Mayor Chris Pappas for the help that led to the arrest of the alleged killers, which includes Inkosi Simphiwe Zuma.
Inkosi Zuma of the AmaNxamalala Tribal Authority, was arrested on June 13 for the murder of his Chief induna Qalokunye Zuma on January 14, 2023.
Zuma made his second appearance at the Impendle Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, where the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) argued against his bail application.
Zuma, who is Umkhonto Wesizwe Party (MKP) leader Jacob Zuma's nephew, appeared alongside one of his co-accused who is also his induna Zwelithini Buthelezi.
Buthelezi, who is alleged to have organised hitmen for Zuma, is also a co-accused in a case that is at Howick Magistrate's Court for the murder of Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor and uMngeni Municipality's chief whip Nhlalayenza Ndlovu, who was gunned down at his Howick home in December 2023.
Qalokunye Zuma's son, Sifiso Zuma, believed that without the arrest in Ndlovu's murder, the police would have struggled to arrest his father's alleged killers.
'As a family, we should be grateful to Pappas, because I am sure that my father's case is where it is now through him.
'Because if he were not involved in the investigation of the uMngeni councillor murder, my father's case would have been sabotaged and collapsed,' claimed Sifiso Zuma.
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Simphiwe Zuma was arrested while presiding over cases at his Sweetwaters traditional court outside Pietermaritzburg.
Sifiso Zuma said he had been visited by about eight investigating officers from Durban and Johannesburg, who were dealing with serious crimes, including political murders and claimed some of them told him that the gun that was used to kill his father was linked to Ndlovu's murder.
'The suspects were arrested for Ndlovu's murder, then they were linked to my father's murder,' said Sifiso.
Pappas said it was known that the suspects were involved in intimidation and even alleged murder in Impendle.
'Despite the public awareness of these allegations, many remain silent out of fear of victimisation.
'We are encouraged that our relentless pursuit of justice for Nhlalayenza has also contributed to the arrest of individuals connected to other senseless acts of violence in the area,' said Pappas.
In opposing Simphiwe Zuma's bail application, investigating officer Detective Sergeant Innocent Chamane told the court how Simphiwe Zuma attempted to collapse Qalokunye Zuma's murder investigation by helping Buthelezi evade arrest in Ndlovu's murder and another crime, which was related to theft of Eskom electricity's transformers and the illegal selling of uMngeni municipality's electricity.
'Accused three (Buthelezi) was on bail in another matter (electricity), appearing in the Howick Magistrate's Court when he decided to disappear.
'A warrant for his arrest was authorised by the Howick court, and the applicant (Simphiwe Zuma) facilitated that Buthelezi should continue running away from the police,' said Chamane.
Out of frustration with the police delay in making an arrest, the DA and Pappas enlisted AfriForum's private investigators, who allegedly identified Buthelezi as the mastermind in Ndlovu's murder.
It was only after Buthelezi's arrest on Ndlovu's murder that police allegedly connected Buthelezi to Qalokunye's murder.
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