4 women killing: Deputy sheriff faces bail uphill
MBABANE – The deputy sheriff, who allegedly shot five women at Goje Township in Ezulwini last year, is facing an uphill battle as the Crown pushes for his elongated stay behind bars.
Four of the women, including his girlfriend, died. Four months later, Vusi Charles Mncina wants to be released from custody and has filed an application for bail. Mncina appeared at the High Court yesterday for the hearing of the bail application.
Crown Counsel Nqobile Mhlanga filed a notice of the intention to oppose Mncina’s application. The bail application will be argued on March 22, 2024. Mncina is represented by Azi Comfort Hlatshwako.
In his bail papers, Mncina said he would forever regret that quartet died in the manner they did. He claimed to not have recalled what happened on the fateful day, since he blacked out. The accused was charged with four counts of murder and one of attempted murder.
Mncina told the court that around 3pm on the day of the incident, he received a phone call from Khulile Shongwe, who was his girlfriend, informing him about a gathering at her place of residence at Goje Township.
According to Mncina, she asked him to buy alcoholic beverages since she would be in the company of her friends and relatives, Lungile Shongwe, Nonhlanhla Thwala, Fikile Shongwe, who were killed on the day, and one Thuli Mkhwanazi.
The accused highlighted that even on the morning of October 28, 2023, he was with her in her house and they were in good terms. He further submitted that he was also in good terms with all Khulile’s friends such that before October 28, 2023, he was with Lungile in Manzini and they exchanged pleasantries.
Mncina told the court that there was no blood between him and the deceased. He alleged that Khulile insisted that he should come to the braai, despite that he had to attend a funeral at Bhunya in the morning of October 29, 2023.
Alcoholic
He claimed that he eventually gave in and bought the alcoholic beverages as requested by Khulile. Mncina said he found Khulile in the company of the four deceased women and Thuli (Mkhwanazi).
According to the accused, he had been requested to come along with his friends so that he could not be bored since most of the attendees were women. He stated that as the function continued, he noticed two men who were unknown to him but whom he suspected were foreigners.
“One of the gentlemen had a private conversation with my deceased girlfriend, Khulile Shongwe. Feeling uncomfortable with the manner in which the stranger was touching my girlfriend, I pulled her aside so I could amicably find out from her why the stranger was so intimate with her in my presence,” submitted the deputy sheriff. He alleged that, with Khulile they went to the bedroom where they discussed the issue and they talked it over. Mncina alleged that Khulile then joined the other women, who were equally surprised. Mncina said by this time, all the now deceased women had gathered in an enclosure to which he would loosely refer as a pantry. He told the court that the pantry was spacious as it accommodated all the women.
“Just when I had moved out of the bedroom, Khulile’s phone ran and I took it with the intention of handing it over to her as she had left it behind. I handed it over to her. Suddenly I heard a burst of laugher from the now deceased ladies. From this moment I do not recall what happened until the moment I realised that they have been shot,” submitted Mncina.
He told the court that he immediately suspected that they might have died. The bail application is expected to be heard today and the prosecution is yet to file its papers in the event it is opposing the bail application.
The accused is represented by Azi Comfort Dlamini of LN Dlamini and Associates in Manzini.
He submitted that he would plead not guilty during the trial. Mncina said as an officer of the court, his job was to execute court orders and he sometimes interacted with hostile and resistant characters, hence he always carried a firearm.