Gumirah was gunned down shortly before meeting with an investigating officer to be placed in witness protection.
Three men who were standing trial for the murder of would-be state witness Christine Gumirah will spend the next three days awaiting their fate.
This comes after the High Court in the Western Cape delivered a guilty verdict against Mandisi Mofu, Lukhanye Meme and Vuminkosi Vumane for killing Gumirah outside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 23 May 2023.
Mofu was also found guilty of attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition.
The trio’s case has been postponed to Monday for sentencing proceedings.
Gumirah, an accused in a murder case at the time, was executed as she left the court building.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said she was about to become a state witness in a murder case and had planned to meet with the investigating officer to be placed in the witness protection programme.
State proves connection between accused
During the trial, state advocate Chandre Smith was able to prove that Mofu texted taxi driver Andile Nqalathi requesting to be dropped off at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on the morning of Gumirah’s murder.
Nqalathi, who was potentially implicated but became a witness in the case, testified that Meme and Vumane joined Mofu in the vehicle.
“They drove to Wynberg, and he was instructed to drop off Meme and Vumane outside the court building. He was then instructed to park the vehicle, and he stayed in the vehicle with Mofu,” Ntabazalila said in a statement on Thursday.
“Mofu instructed him to change the registration plates of the silver sedan he was driving. He further testified that Mofu was on the phone all the time,” he added.
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Accused placed at the scene
Adv. Smith also led six other witnesses whose evidence proved that Meme and Vumane were in the same courtroom with the deceased, monitoring her movements.
Video footage showed Meme leaving the court building and giving a sign, Ntabazalila said.
“Soon after Mofu exited the vehicle, he walked towards Gumirah, who was joined by two other women, and shot her.”
Nqalathi told the court that he heard two shots, and then Mofu walked back into the vehicle and instructed him to drive away from the area.
He asked about the other two men he had dropped off outside the court but was told to drive.
Investigating officer Warrant Officer Shaun Fortuin testified that he was on his way to court to collect Gumirah when she was shot.
When he arrived at the scene on Church Street, he found Gumirah lying on the ground with a single gunshot wound.
Driver’s arrest and confession
Video footage captured the car Nqalathi was driving, and police were able to track its movements using CCTV cameras.
“It was traced and stopped during an operation on 1 June 2023,” Ntabazalila said.
Nqalathi was taken in for questioning and admitted to being in Wynberg on the day of the shooting.
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After being shown the footage, he confirmed Mofu as the shooter who followed the three women and shot Gumirah.
Suspects found and arrested
He later showed the police where Mofu stayed, and all three were arrested at the Lower Crossroads property.
“Police confiscated Mofu’s wet clothing, which matched the clothing he wore as seen on the CCTV footage,” Ntabazalila said.
“Police also confiscated their cellphones, but the accused refused to permit their data to be analysed. They gave their cellphone numbers, which the police used to map their movements.”
Meme and Vumane confirmed that they were at the court, but said they were there to watch and support a neighbour who was being sentenced.
The investigating officer obtained the court roll of the day, which did not show the neighbour’s name.
Mofu came up with an alibi but the people he named were declared as very poor witnesses.
Conviction
“On the attempted murder charge, while at the crime scene, a woman with a shattered back [window] arrived driving an SUV and informed police that she had heard a loud bang and realised afterwards that her back window was damaged,” Ntabazalila said.
Police booked her vehicle in and a ballistic expert retrieved a bullet while examining it.
“The court ruled that the state had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt…”
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