The confession made by Bonga Hintsa, one of the six men accused in the Lusikisiki massacre, was nearly derailed because no local interpreter wanted to work overtime, the Mthatha High Court — sitting in Lusikisiki — heard on Tuesday.
Investigating officer Sergeant Bulelani Siko testified that on October 17 2024, he and a colleague drove Hintsa to a magistrate in Dutywa to make a confession, but the process nearly stalled.
Siko told the court they were left in a predicament.
The police had driven Hintsa more than 200km from Lusikisiki to the Dutywa magistrate’s court, arriving at about 4.30pm.
But the magistrate told them that she could not take the statement without the presence of an interpreter.
“The magistrate said that no interpreter was willing to work overtime.”
Siko said he had not met the magistrate personally but they had spoken on the phone.
Despite all the parties speaking isiXhosa, the magistrate insisted on a trained interpreter, leading to a scramble for alternatives.
Siko arranged for an interpreter to come from Willowvale, but this fell through.
After further efforts failed, Siko phoned Brigadier Duduzile Ngculu, the provincial head of the serious and violent crimes investigations unit, for help.
Ngculu organised for Hawks senior official Lieutenant-Colonel Zwelenkosi Diko to take the confession in Mthatha.
Siko said they then drove from Dutywa to Mthatha where he handed over Hintsa to another police officer to pass on to Diko for the confession to be made in the Hawks’ office.
In court, Siko described the case as a high-profile one that needed to be treated as such.
Everything needed to be done properly, and the police could not afford to make any blunders.
He said he understood the need to have a qualified interpreter.
When defence attorney Mawande Nokwali asked why he did not provide the interpreting himself, Siko said he was not trained as an interpreter, despite speaking isiXhosa.
Siko denied charges by Nokwali and Zama Somahela that Hintsa had been assaulted, and that when he was taken to hospital in Dutywa he had been fed leftovers and crusts of bread brought in by Siko’s girlfriend.
“That is a lie. First of all, I am not dating women, I am dating men. I don’t do women,” Siko responded.
“Secondly, we bought nine pieces of Kentucky and shared it among ourselves with each one of us getting three pieces. It was not crusts but was proper nice food.”
Siko also denied there was a hospital in Dutywa.
“People in Dutywa are taken to hospital in Butterworth.
“Even if there had been a hospital there, there would have been no need to take Hintsa to hospital because he was not injured or sick.”
Six men — alleged mastermind Mzukisi Ndamase, 46, Aphiwe Ndende, 25, Siphosoxolo Myekethe, Hintsa, Songezo Vuma, 21 and Mawethu Nomdlembu, 36 — face charges related to the mass shooting in Ngobozana village, Lusikisiki, on September 28 2024.
Eighteen people — 15 women, a 13-year-old boy and two men — were killed when gunmen attacked the neighbouring homesteads of sisters Mary Sinqina and Nancy Sinqina-Mhatu.
A 19th murder charge relates to the killing of politician Mncedi Gijana on August 19 2024.
All six accused have pleaded not guilty.
Hintsa, Ndende and Myekethe are objecting to the admissibility of the confessions as evidence saying that they were taken under duress.
Daily Dispatch
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