By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Six men appeared in the Lusikisiki Magistrate’s Court on Monday for the mass killing that left 18 people dead in Ngobozana Village, Eastern Cape in September last year.
The accused, Mzukisi Ndamase, Siphosoxolo Myekethe, Aphiwe “AP” Ndende, Bonga Hintsa, Mawethu Nomdlembu, and Songezo Vuma, face serious charges, including 18 counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, and robbery.
All six men will remain in custody and have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
One of them, Ndamase, who is already serving a life sentence, is believed to be mastermind behind the attack from prison.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the trial is expected to run 3 weeks until September 2025.
The grieving families hope the proceedings will finally reveal the motive behind the deadliest mass killing.
During court proceedings, the state formally presented all charges against the accused.
The prosecutor alleged that the killings, including that of Gijana, were planned and premeditated.
“The accused persons were acting in concert in furtherance of a common purpose to kill the deceased, “the prosecutor said.
Before entering his plea, Ndamase, who chose to represent himself, asked the court to provide him with the statements of two witnesses.
He also requested that his handcuffs be removed so that he could take notes. The alleged mastermind pleaded not guilty to all 24 charges brought against him.
In his plea statement, Ndamase denied his involvement in the murders, highlighting his long-term incarceration.His five co-accused also pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The trial is scheduled to resume on Tuesday, with the first state witness expected to testify.
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, according to the latest figures from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
There were more than 27,000 murders in 2022 – amounting to 45 people per 100,000, out of a population of almost 60 million. By comparison, the US rate is six per 100,000.