An Eastern Cape fugitive, arrested on Wednesday on suspicion that he was behind the gruesome killing of three young men at an initiation school in Ngqamakhwe in December 2023, is dead.
Zibekile Nkata, 42, was found dead in a cell while in custody at the Gelvandale police station in Gqeberha on the day he was arrested, provincial police confirmed on Thursday. No foul play is suspected.
Nkata has been on the run since December 2023. He had been implicated in a shooting that had left two young initiates and their traditional nurse, all blood brothers, dead.
A fourth brother, also a traditional nurse, was seriously wounded and left for dead.
The shooting took place shortly after 1am on December 5 2023 at Mntla village near Ngqamakhwe.
Teenagers Awonke Busakwe, 19, and Anele, 20, had just begun their rite of passage under the care of their older brother, Sakhe, 25, when gunmen entered their initiation hut and opened fire.
All three died at the scene, while the fourth brother, Siyasanga, 27, survived despite being shot in the arm and jaw.
Nkata, who has been on the police radar for some time, was tracked to Gqeberha’s Kamvelihle informal settlement in Motherwell this week.
Local police had been following up on a case of someone believed to be in possession of an illegal firearm in the area when they stepped into Nkata’s shack just after midnight on Wednesday.
As the police were still talking to his girlfriend and asking where he was, he emerged in the dark and a shoot-out with police ensued. He was shot in the leg but escaped.
Hours later police received information about a man who had been admitted to Livingstone Hospital with a bullet in his thigh.
He was later identified as the wanted fugitive in connection with the Ngqamakhwe murders.
Investigators in the Ngqamakhwe case were summoned to Gqeberha and when Nkata was discharged from hospital at 11am on Wednesday, they arrested him, planning to take him back to Ngqamakhwe, where he was supposed to appear in court on Thursday.
Gqeberha police insiders said the two Ngqamakhwe detectives took custody of Nkata, who was also originally from Ngqamakhwe.
As they still had some business to attend to, they detained him at the Gelvandale police station before the trip back to Ngqamakhwe.
“About two hours later, the detectives arrived back at Gelvandale to pick up the suspect, but when they were led to his holding cell, a gruesome discovery was made.
“He was found dead, hanging from a cell window, and it was evident that he had used a strip of blanket to hang himself.”
On Thursday, provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa confirmed Nkata’s death.
“Police can confirm the death of a 42-year-old suspect in their custody.
“Before his death, he was detained at Gelvandale on Wednesday May 7 and was later found dead inside a cell.”
Mawisa confirmed that the man had been arrested for his alleged involvement in the murder of the three Ngqamakhwe initiates.
An inquest docket has been opened and will be investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).
Ipid spokesperson Lizzy Suping on Thursday confirmed going to the scene where the suspect died.
She said Ipid was still conducting its investigation.
Attempts to speak to the brothers’ mother, Nomthandazo Busakwe, were unsuccessful on Thursday.
Attempts to get comment from Nkata’s family were also unsuccessful.
Daily Dispatch
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