Second suspect in speaker’s killing arrested

A SECOND man suspected to have been part of Raymond Mhlaba council speaker Thozama Njobe’s death has been arrested in Mdantsane.

Njobe, 43, died last month after being shot 16 times in her car in the Fort Beaufort CBD.

One man, Mziyanda Ketani, 29, was arrested in Mdantsane on July 29 in connection with the slaying by a provincial police task team assembled to investigate the high-profile case.

This week Eastern Cape police said a 30-year-old man, identified as Sindiso Wece, was arrested on Monday in Cecilia Makiwane Hospital, where he was being treated for stab wounds.

Police did not release the details and circumstances surrounding the man’s injuries except to say they were not related to the Njobe case.

At the time of his arrest he was under police guard for an unrelated crime. Police spokeswoman Brigadier Marinda Mills said: “He was discharged from hospital on Monday and immediately taken to Mdantsane police station where he was detained.”

Mills said Wece was taken to the Fort Beaufort Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday where he charge of murder.

“In court the case was postponed to August 14.

“He will remain in custody … he will appear in court again together with his co-accused [Ketani],” said Mills.

Ketani is expected to make a formal bail application next Monday.

When she was shot Njobe, a mother of three, was in the company of a colleague, Mandla Makeleni, who escaped the attack unharmed.

Njobe was rushed to hospital, but was declared dead on arrival.

The motive for the killing — appeared on is a unknown.