Prison warders at Mthatha’s Wellington prison were afraid of Noluvo Mancoba, the mother of the seven Mancoba brothers who ran the controversial Seven Angels Ministries, whose members are accused of killing Ngcobo policemen.
Whenever she visited the accused at the prison, security was bolstered with more prison warders deployed.
This was revealed as the trial continues this week in the Mthatha high court.
Andani Monco, 35, Kwanele Ndlwana, 27, Siphosomzi Tshefu, 26, and Phumzile Mhlatywa, 52, face 22 charges.
These include three of conspiracy, five counts of murder, three of attempted murder, seven counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, three counts of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, one of possession of a firearm/ammunition with intent to commit an offence, and one count of housebreaking relating to a foiled robbery of a Capitec bank.
After their arrest on February 23 2018, the four church members pleaded not guilty and refused legal representation.
Mhlatywa told judge Robert Griffiths that Noluvo Mancoba was no threat.
“But they were scared of Mrs Mancoba. Every time she visited us, there were many armed prison warders deployed and this was annoying.
“They were there specifically for her and checked her every move and heard every word she was uttering.
“This is despite that she was not an inmate but an innocent elderly harmless mother who posed no threat to anyone.
“We felt she was targeted unfairly, and we believe that this happened because she was the leader of the church whose members are accused of killing policemen — something we are falsely implicated in.”
However, Mhlatywa did not question the warders about their conduct or why Noluvo was targeted.
But Siphesihle Tatsi, 23, who previously pleaded guilty to the charges, and has been jailed, told the court that each time Noluvo visited them in prison, she instructed them to deny everything, plead not guilty, and accuse police of assaulting and coercing them into making confessions.
On July 26 2023, Tatsi was sentenced to 241 years’ imprisonment but will serve only 18.
The church was founded by Noluvo’s late husband, Siphiwo, in 1991.
He died on April 13 2015. His seven sons were known as the “seven angels”.
In February 2018, a gang of robbers allegedly stormed into the Ngcobo police station and shot dead five police officers.
A man believed to be a member of the South African Defence Force, who reportedly heard the gunshots and went to investigate, was also killed.
On February 23 2018, three of the “angels” — Thandazile, 38, Xolisa, 37, and Philile, 33 — died in a hail of bullets during a shootout with a police task force that raided the church compound at Khalanyanga in Ngcobo.
Four others, Vumile Kwele, Siyasanga Mfazwe, Luzuko Mbedu and Loyiso Dlambulo, ordinary congregants and servants of the Mancoba brothers, were also killed.
Thandazile was a feared angel called Gabriel, who allegedly led the most ruthless regiment of slaves or soldiers, most of whom were taught to rob, kill and steal and who lived by lies.
All the accused refused legal representation citing religious beliefs, but one of their church leaders, “angel” Phuthumile Mancoba, who was arrested with the current accused, had a lawyer, and pleaded guilty on December 3 2018 to possession of an unlicensed firearm and defeating the ends of justice.
He was fined R1,000 (or six months) for defeating the ends of justice and R10,000 (or 24 months) for the firearm charge.
“This is despite that she was not an inmate but an innocent elderly harmless mother who posed no threat to anyone."
The prosecutor on Wednesday described the church compound as a crime den where criminal activities were allegedly planned and items stolen from police, such as firearms, were kept.
“All the firearms that were stolen from [the police officers in] Butterworth and Cala as well as the Ngcobo police station and from those Ngcobo police officers who were killed, and survivors, were recovered at the Mancoba church compound on February 23 2018.
“Only one of the stolen firearms was never recovered.”
She said some of the stolen firearms were used by the accused and some of those who died during the shootout with the police at the compound in February 2018.
Among the firearms were R5 rifles, pump action shotguns and pistols.
“It is surprising that [Mhlatywa] gloried Mrs Mancoba as a good mother and denied the church compound was a crime den, whereas Mrs Mancoba celebrated the killing of police, instructed the accused to falsely implicate police of assaulting the accused to confess.
“The stolen police firearms were recovered in the church compound and were used by the congregants during a shootout with police in the compound,” the prosecutor said.
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