The grieving and furious family members of the victims of the Lusikisi mass shooting on Friday told the Mthatha High Court, sitting in Lusikisiki, of the trauma of identifying the 18 bodies of their loved ones.
They had been taken to a government funeral parlour after the bloody shooting that shocked the world.
The mass shooting had been preceded by ANC Alfred Nzo regional leader, Mcendisi Gijana’s killing at his Lubhacweni village home in KwaBhaca on August 19 2024.
Authorities have since confirmed that the same weapons were used in the two shootings and the court has ruled to combine the two cases.
The mass shooting happened on September 28, and left a total of 18 people — mostly family and friends — dead at the homesteads of sisters Mary Sinqina and Nancy Sinqina-Mhatu in Ngobozana village.
The victims had gathered to prepare for a traditional ceremony marking the end of mourning for their sister, Nomnikelo Sinqina, 61, and her pregnant niece, Zinzi Sinqina-Jawuse, 31, who were killed in August 2023. Zinzi was Mary’s daughter.
Mzukisi Ndamase, sentenced to life for murder and 15 years for aggravated robbery, is alleged to have masterminded the attacks from inside a Mthatha prison and is the neighbour of Mary.
He has been in prison since 2007.
As the families stood face-to-face with the six accused men — Ndamase, Siphosoxolo Myekethe, Aphiwe “AP” Ndende, Bonga Hintsa, Mawethu Nomdlembu and Songezo Vuma — they were reminded of the traumatic experience they endured a year ago.
The accused face 29 charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, 19 counts of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition
Michael King, whose wife Jane had, in the previous appearance last week, testified that their only daughter, Ruth, had shouted for her to help while gunmen sprayed her body with high-calibre firearms, was the first witness to testify on Friday.
“The next morning [after the shooting], I went to the government mortuary in Lusikisiki to identify the body of Ruth, my daughter,” King said.
Another family member, Monwabisi Sinqina, said he had identified seven bodies in one day.
He said Mary and Nancy were his aunts.
“At the government mortuary,I managed to identify the bodies of my three aunts, Mary, Nancy, and Mathembisile, as well as my cousins Athini, Thobile, Samantha, and my nephew Thabiso Matu,” Sinqina told Judge Richard Brooks.
Lonwabo Dukuza struggled to hold back tears as he told the court about identifying the bodies of relatives.
The six accused, five of whom are represented by Legal Aid, have pleaded not guilty to all charges, with Vuma further telling the court he did what he did because he was forced to do it.
Postmortem reports submitted in court proved that all 19 deceased victims, including Gijana, suffered multiple wounds to the head and chest from high-calibre firearms.
The trial has been postponed to Tuesday.
Daily Dispatch