MFUNDI Sibiya (54), department of education Ugu district director, was the mastermind behind the murder of Nyon’emhlophe principal, Nkosinathi Zondi (46) who was killed outside his home in Umlazi in May last year.
This was heard in the uMlazi Magistrate’s Court during the bail hearing on Monday. Mfundi Sibiya, Lindani Mkhize (40), a principal at Gobhela Primary, Mhlengi Luthuli (38), a principal at Bonguzwane High, and Xolani Myeza (38), a former school principal, are alleged to have conspired with each other by giving instructions to Andile Zulu and Lungisani Makhoba to kill Zondi.
Ndondile Shezi, Sandile Mzizi, Zulu and Makhoba were arrested and charged with murder.
The charges against Shezi and Mzizi were withdrawn this year, while Zulu and Makhoba were refused bail.
Sandile Mzizi, who was a school governing body chairman at Khathi High School in Mthwalume, had been accused of organising the hit on Zondi and according to the investigating officer, Xolani Mlungwana, Mzizi has now turned state witness.
In his evidence, Officer Mlungwana said Zondi, who was also the regional chairman of the South African DemocraticTeachers’ Union (Sadtu) on the Lower South Coast, had been shot five times and had died at the scene.
“Applicant one (Mfundi Sibiya) approached a middleman and informed him that Zondi must be killed as he was causing more ‘problems’. Sibiya mentioned that the problems were corruption and the deceased was going to expose applicant two (Mkhize),” said the investigating officer.
Officer Mlungwana said Mkhize, Luthuli and Myeza contributed money to the hitmen and Myeza was given R12 000 to pay the middleman, who was identified in court as Mzizi.
Officer Mlungwana said the accused knew 99 percent of the witnesses in the case and was constantly contacted by them begging him to make sure the men did not get bail as the witnesses feared for their lives.
“Sibiya was the mastermind behind the entire murder because if he didn’t order that Zondi be killed, nothing was going to happen,” said the officer.
During the cross-examination by Sibiya’s attorney, Ben Dlamini, it was revealed that most of the information came from the middleman, and the officer confirmed that Mzizi was the state witness.
Attorney Dlamini revealed to the court that Mzizi could not be trusted. The investigating officer pleaded with the court not to grant the four men bail as he feared that Mzizi’s life would be in danger. “If this witness dies, this case would be over,” he said.
