Murder accused returns to Durban Magistrate’s Court
Mandla Zuma appeared at the Durban Magistrate’s Court for the killing of his partner. Nonhlanhla Nhleko's body was found in a shallow grave.
A MAN charged with the murder of his partner will learn his fate next month when the court delivers its final judgment.
Mandla Zuma appeared at the Durban Magistrate’s Court on September 16 for the murder of Nonhlanhla Nhleko.
During his appearance in court, it was revealed that Zuma has a pending case of drug trafficking committed in 2010. This case, together with the murder charge, will be dealt with when the State and defence make submissions before the court on October 14.
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Zuma (49) is accused of killing Nhleko at their shack dwelling in Coedmore Road near Yellowwood Park in December 2024.
Her body was exhumed in January after residents raised concerns about her sudden disappearance, as she had not been seen in the community for some time.
This sparked suspicion among locals. The residents allegedly pressured Zuma to reveal what had happened to his partner, and he eventually confessed to burying her in a shallow grave. Police were then called in to assist with the exhumation of Nhleko’s body.
Nhleko’s body was found in a shallow grave in front of their shack dwelling in Coedmore Road in January this year.
It is alleged that Zuma buried his partner in a shallow grave a few metres outside their home at the Sea View Cemetery near Yellowwood Park in December last year.
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During his previous court appearance on August 15, his legal representative told the court that on the day of the incident, the accused and his partner had an altercation.
The defence argued that the accused was acting in self-defence when he struck the victim once on the head with a stick.
At the heart of the argument is the claim that the deceased provoked the accused, forcing him to defend himself when she allegedly tried to attack him with a broken bottle.
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