VICTOR MURDER WITNESS ‘NCAZA’ ON SA KIDNAPPING SPREE

MBABANE – While Mbuso ‘Ncaza’ Nkosi received immunity in the murder case of soccer boss Victor Gamedze, he is currently in jail facing charges of kidnapping celebrities in South Africa.

‘Ncaza’ was an accomplice witness in Gamedze’s murder case with Simphiwe ‘Tata’ Ngubane and he confessed to pulling the trigger that gruesomely took the life of the then Eswatini Mobile and Mbabane Swallows  boss on January 14, 2018. Despite his confession on the Gamedze murder case, ‘Ncaza’ was granted prosecution immunity according Section 234 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act 67/1938. However, in his home country, ‘Ncaza’ has been charged for kidnapping the director of popular South African soapie Gomora, Kutlwano Ditsele on March 10, 2023.

carjacking

Ncaza and his co-accused Lehlohonolo Maitse was also linked to a string of carjacking crimes involving football players and other high-profile individuals in Gauteng. Maitse is believed to have been the mastermind in the hijacking of Orlando Pirates striker Vincent Pule was linked with his co-accused, ‘Ncaza’, to the kidnapping of Ditsele, outside his Johannesburg home. The pair was arrested by the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) last year after they were found with a stolen BMW 1 Series belonging to Orlando Pirates star Pule after he was hijacked in Johannesburg South on July 31, 2022. The suspects both made court appearances. Maitse, appeared at the Booysens Magistrates Court on a spate of other kidnapping, hijacking and murder charges and later joined his co-accused, ‘Ncaza’ at the Vosloorus Magistrates Court. ‘Ncaza’ and his co-accused allegedly subjected the famous award-winning film director to a 15-hour long hostage situation. At the time of the highjack, the two were out on bail for other carjacking and kidnapping crimes.

It was reported that the two allegedly kidnapped the executive producer at gunpoint outside his Northern Suburbs home and took him to an undisclosed location, where they forced him to share access to his online bank accounts. He was later released after the two suspects had emptied his accounts. After the ordeal, Ditsele said he was grateful to have escaped with his life, but had lost his sense of safety in the process. Ditsele shared a picture on social media and said: “This picture was taken exactly seven days to the hour after I was released from a harrowing 15-hour hijacking experience outside my house and taken to an unknown location. I was unharmed and had my gadgets and money from my bank account emptied.” Records from the National Prosecution Authority (NPA), the two are not only facing charges from the above incidents. Some of the cases they are being investigated for date as far back as 2006, and they include kidnapping, robbery, murder, housebreaking and theft, often targeting Gauteng’s well-to-do individuals.

Unsuspecting

A report from the police reflects tha this was one of many cases in which the pair used a similar modus operandi to steal by kidnapping and hijacking their unsuspecting and affluent victims. According to the NPA, ‘Ncaza’, who appeared as accused number two, features at number five on a 2022 list of most wanted for the worst crimes committed and the murder of Gamedze was among the cases attributed to him. His co-accused was previously charged with various violent crimes and was out on bail for the alleged carjacking of the Orlando Pirates midfielder’s car, which was found in his possession. While locally the court declared that ‘Ncaza’s testimony was the opening key on the murder case of Gamedze, which led to businessman Sipho Shongwe being found guilty. The court acknowledged the role that was played by ‘Ncaza’ and ‘Tata’ in exposing the plan by Advocate Ntshabiseng Mahomane and Shongwe, to interfere with their evidence. Judge Nkosinathi Maseko said the evidence was a milestone in proving their desire to testify as accomplice witnesses. This was one of the findings that were made by the judge in his judgment, where he found Shongwe guilty of the murder of Gamedze.

disputing

Advocate Mahomane is said to have attempted to coerce the duo to sign affidavits disputing that they agreed to testify against Shongwe. They informed the court that Advocate Mahomane came with affidavits she had drafted without their knowledge and they refused to sign them. In his judgment, Judge Maseko highlighted that ‘Ncaza’ and ‘Tata’ made sure that Advocate Mahomane appeared in court when the Eswatini team led by Fakudze was present. Indeed, Advocate Mahomane fell into that trap and was seen by the Eswatini team. “This was after they had brilliantly tricked Advocate Mahomane into leaving the commissioned affidavits, which they wanted to handover to the Eswatini team led by Fakudze to demonstrate the extent of the accused’s interference in their evidence,” said Judge Maseko.

He noted that ‘Ncaza’ and ‘Tata’ also disowned Advocate Mahomane right in court before a magistrate and she was embarrassed and eventually abandoned her attempts. Both accomplice witnesses, according to the court, corroborated the evidence of Senior Superintendent Fakudze and his team, and likewise the evidence of Fakudze and his team corroborated the evidence of ‘Ncaza’ and ‘Tata’. Gamedze was shot twice in the head by ‘Ncaza’, while at Galp Filling Station in Ezulwini. He was returning from Somhlolo National Stadium where his team, Mbabane Swallows Football Club, was playing against Manzini Wanderers Football Club.

hired

Ncaza told the court that he had been hired from Soweto, South Africa by Shongwe to kill Gamedze. In his judgment, Judge Maseko observed that ‘Ncaza’ was the only one who knew exactly what was going to happen in Eswatini, that the purpose of the whole operation was to kill Gamedze and not to rob him as ‘Tata’ was made to believe. Judge Maseko observed that in the circumstances, ‘Ncaza’ was Shongwe’s main man in the operation and he was the centre of all communications. On the immunity, the judge said it was a practise that was adopted in many jurisdictions, where the criminals who executed the groundwork and the dirty work for the kingpin who usually comes nowhere near the crime scene, end up testifying against him and get him convicted. 

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