An apparent grudge led to a man being
bludgeoned to death with a spade at the
Sibongile hostel on Saturday evening.
The murder has left the community
reeling. They said a man arrived at
the Ngubane shebeen at 8pm, waving
a spade around and demanding that
everyone leave the shebeen.
Patrons fl ed, after which the man
attacked Melusi Ziqubu, striking him
with the spade several times.
Police at the scene said Melusi had
been brutally assaulted. His face was
virtually unrecognisable, and he also
suffered several broken bones.
He died at the scene. The spade man
then fl ed on a bicycle, which he stole
from Siyabonga Khoza.
The suspect then rode to Dlamini
Village to pick up his girlfriend, and
took her on the bicycle to KwaMaqanda
in the Ekuvukeni area.
However, he lost control of the
bicycle and both he and his girlfriend
were injured. They were forced to walk
back to Dundee.
They were given a lift to the Dundee
Provincial Hospital, where the suspect
gave a false name.
Detective Warrant Offi cer Anthony
Nkabini, who was off-duty at the time,
received a call from a colleague asking
him to assist. Without hesitation he
left his home and went to the hostel
complex to start his investigation.
“I knew I had to act quickly, because
if the suspect left Dundee it would
be diffi cult to trace him,” he said.
W/O Nkabini located the suspect’s
grandmother’s house in Ekuvukeni.
Following up on information he went to
Stratford Farm, where he was told the
suspect had been released from hospital
and was waiting to leave for Gauteng.
Bonisani Xaba was arrested shortly
afterwards.
Later, Xolile Khumalo was arrested
in Dlamini Village for his alleged
complicity in the murder.
It was discovered that Xaba is facing
a pending murder case.
Both accused appeared in the
Dundee Magistrate’s Court yesterday
(Tuesday)
