THE guilty plea of the bull who was arrested with Nkosi Simphiwe Erick Zuma in the case of the murder of former DA councillor, Mr. Nhlalayenza Ndlovu, has been postponed.
The guilty plea of Thabo Mathonsi Chonco, accused of plotting to blackmail Ndlovu while in prison, has been postponed to Friday.
Chonco was expected to confess to the plot to kill Ndlovu when he appeared at the District Court in Pietermaritzburg, last Friday.
However, the chief prosecutor in the case, Advocate Elvis Gcweka, requested that the case be adjourned because Chonco’s lawyer was not in court.
“We ask that it be postponed so that Chonco’s lawyer will be here in court where they will finalize the plans to plead guilty.”
Chonco revealed when the case was being heard at the Magistrate’s Court in Howick, that he wanted to plead guilty.
Two weeks ago, another suspect, Mr. Khayelihle Shabalala, also revealed that he will confess to the crime.
This means that the suspects who denied the crime are King Zuma and Mr. Thobani Masobho Hlongwa.
Another suspect, Mr. Zwelithini Buthelezi, is yet to become a court witness.
Ndlovu is a relative of King Zuma, he was killed in front of his family in 2023, it is said that he was killed for opposing the theft of electricity and the sale of municipal land.
The king appeared briefly in court again this Friday, where he is facing two other murder charges.
The king is charged with the murder of the former prime minister of the Nxamalala tribe, Mr. Qalokunye Zuma, and the murder of Mr. Xolani Ntombela/Ndlovu who opposed the sale of municipal land in Mpophomeni.
In the case of the murder of Ntombela/Ndlovu, Inkosi was arrested together with Chonco and Mr. Thembelani Mbatha. Both cases were adjourned to Friday.
The reversal of these charges means that Inkosi will continue to go to prison.
The king has been imprisoned since the middle of last year. He was first released on bail in the case of murdering Qalokune but was then arrested for murdering Ndlovu.
The king’s bail application was dismissed in the case of Ndlovu’s murder, he had not filed a bail application in the case of Ntombela/Ndlovu’s murder.
