The Pretoria Magistrate’s Court has remanded two officials attached to the Integrity Management Unit (IMU) in the Office of the Premier in Mpumalanga in custody.

Eckson Jabulani Mkhonto (53), a vetting officer, and protocol manager Emmanuel Neverdie Mkhabela (47), appeared in court earlier today, June 4, for a bail application. The matter was postponed to Friday, June 12, for verification of their residential addresses.

The court heard that Mkhabela is in possession of two identity documents with different numbers and a silenced firearm, which investigators intend to send for ballistic testing to determine whether it was used in the commission of a crime.

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Mkhabela is originally from Rolle Trust but currently resides in Thulamahashe under the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, while Mkhonto is from Mahushu near Hazyview and currently lives in Msholozi near White River.

The two were arrested on May 28 and 29 respectively.

Mkhonto was arrested at a guesthouse in Tonga, Mpumalanga, while Mkhabela handed himself over at the Villieria Police Station, after having failed to do so the previous day as agreed.

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The arrests follow a lengthy investigation into the 2023 shooting of IMU chief director Izzy Mabidi Machaba (57), who also served as a forensic investigator for the provincial government.

“On September 7, 2023, [Machaba] was driving from Mpumalanga to his residence in Pretoria. While travelling along Hardy Muller Circle in Villieria, a vehicle, allegedly occupied by the two accused, drove alongside the [Machaba’s] vehicle and fired multiple shots before fleeing the scene,” said Lumka Mahanjana, the Gauteng division spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority.

“Following the shooting, the deceased reportedly stopped his vehicle and contacted his supervisors, informing them that the two accused had fired several gunshots at him. He was later found on the roadside by security personnel in the area and transported to the hospital,” added Mahanjana.

Machaba was severely wounded and remained in a coma for several months following the incident. Nearly a year later, he succumbed to his injuries.

An insider, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, told Lowvelder that, at the time of the attack, Machaba was investigating allegations that Mkhabela had misrepresented his qualifications and that Mkhonto had submitted questionable travel claims.

He was also reportedly probing corruption allegations linked to the pair involving millions of rands in the Mpumalanga government.

Mahanjana said extensive police investigations took more than two years to conclude.

Mkhonto initially appeared in court on Thursday May 28 and Mkhabela initially appeared on Friday May 29 where they both were remanded in custody pending their appearance today.

They face charges of premeditated murder, possession of unlicensed firearms and possession of ammunition.