The bloody May 18 Willowvale mass shooting when seven people — including an eight-year-old boy and three of his family members — died was a case of mistaken identity.
The Mthatha family — husband, wife, and their two sons as well as two friends — were not the intended targets.
They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, the Butterworth magistrate’s court heard on Friday.
This was revealed by the SAPS provincial organised crime investigation unit’s Colonel Willie Mayi, who is heading a 12-member task team investigating the shooting.
“A group of about 10 gunmen shot the victims,” he said.
Inga Sogidashe, 33, Vumile Lola, 37, Siphelele Ntshiyane, 33, and co-accused Luthando Sobonde, 25, and Gcobani Bodlwana, 26, face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, six counts of murder, one of unlawful possession of a firearm, and one of unlawful possession of ammunition.
Sogidashe, Lola, and Ntshiyane — all taxi bosses in the Western Cape — were arrested in Swellendam on May 23. A bag of bullets was found in their car.
The three want to be released on bail while two others have abandoned their bail bids.
Four Mthatha family members — Nkqubela September, 43, his wife, Busisiwe, 42, their sons Luyolo, 22, and, Iviwe, 8, of KuNgolo, and family friends Lubabalo Khumalo Mazwana, also of Mthatha, and Xolani Klawushe Meje, 23, of KuMabala village in Willowvale, were travelling in a Mazda 3 when they were ambushed at nearby Nxanxashe on May 18.
Nkqubela, a popular Mthatha sangoma had been contracted to conduct cleansing rituals at Meje’s homestead.
A bloodstained VW Polo, allegedly driven by Sogidashe, was found abandoned at the crime scene.
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A Toyota Fortuner was also found a distance away and the body of Bongani Maleki was found not far from the vehicle.
Mayi cast light on the reason behind the gruesome murders.
“On the night of May 18, Sogidashe, Lola, and Ntshiyane were at the home of Lola in Dambana when they heard that a rival group which had been harassing them was travelling from Willowvale to attack them.
“The accused armed themselves and travelled in two vehicles, a VW Polo and a Toyota Fortuner.
“Sogidashe drove the VW Polo and Maleki the Toyota Fortuner.”
Manyi told magistrate Phumla Wotshela that Maleki, “the owner of the Toyota Fortuner, was an accomplice of Sogidashe’s group and a friend to all the accused”.
“At about 11pm they came across the Mazda 3. They cornered it with their vehicles and opened fire with R5 rifles and pistols.
“All six occupants of the Mazda 3 died on the spot. Sadly, they were not the intended targets.
“They were innocent people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Manyi said.
State prosecutor Guzana Namba asked how it was that Sogidashe had been injured and Maleki gunned down, though they were the ones allegedly shooting six unarmed people.
“It emerged that the members of the rival group were already in the vicinity ... as Sogidashe’s group finished shooting the victims in the Mazda 3, they were surprised by heavy gun attack.
“Sogidashe was hit in the lower leg and Bongani was gunned down. The Sogidashe group fled the scene on foot, abandoning their vehicles.”
Police found cartridges of R5 and pistols inside the Toyota Fortuner and near the VW Polo.
“Sogidashe’s group wanted to dominate and monopolise a territory which was not theirs, hence the other group was aggrieved and harassed them, but Sogidashe’s group was determined,” Manyi said.
The state is opposed to bail.
“They are all a flight risk,” Manyi said.
Sogidashe, despite needing “urgent and immediate” medical attention, demanded to be taken to a hospital in East London instead of seeking help locally.
He said Sogidashe and Ntshiyane’s residential addresses could not be positively verified while Lola and his wife had been renting accommodation since November.
“The one renting can leave that place at any time.”
Defence attorney Ncedo Gilindoda rubbished Manyi’s claims of unverified addresses.
“There are lease agreements from the applicant’s landlords which I will submit to court.
“You have a positively verified the residential address of [Lola], irrespective of renting or owning the place.”
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