A witness in the trial against four men charged with the murder of former ANC Youth League secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa says he spoke to him before he was killed.

Skhumbuzo Mazongolo, who was an off-duty police officer on the day, testified in the Pietermaritzburg High Court yesterday. Magaqa, who was a councillor in Umzimkhulu in KZN, in July 2017 was shot several times at a car wash in the area.

He died weeks later at the Chief Albert Luthuli Memorial Hospital in Durban. The four men, Sibonelo Myeza, Mbulelo Mpofana, Mlungisi Ncalane, and Sibusiso Ncengwa, are currently on trial for murder and face different charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, malicious injury to property, and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

Myeza and Mpofana are out on bail, while Ncalane and Ncengwa are in custody. Mazongolo told the court that when he saw Magaqa, he went to speak to him. Magaqa was sitting inside the car. “We had a small talk for about one minute to two minutes.

“While I was talking to him, there was a red BMW that had parked next to us. Magaqa asked, ‘Who were those people in the car [a BMW] and why were they there?’ I told him I did not know. After I spoke to him [Magaqa], I went back to my car.”

He said that after he went back to his car, he saw the red BMW driving off towards the R56. “About t minutes later, there was a shooting. I got out of the car, and I saw a hole in the car where Magaqa was sitting.

“I also saw two men carrying firearms running, and they were picked up by a vehicle, which I believe was a Mercedes-Benz, that drove towards Umzimkhulu.”

He pointed to accused number one, Myeza, as the driver of the red BMW. Earlier, another witness, Sergeant Jude Ngobe, revealed that he found about 40 to 45 cartridges at the crime scene. The trial continues today.