Two in court for Maqungo killing
Authorities tried to keep arrest hush-hush in murder case of taxi boss
Two suspects, Phakamisa Nkopo and Simphiwe Msenge, accused of being part of the gang of four who stormed an Eastern Cape police station killing awaiting prisoner and taxi boss Simphiwe Maqungo, appeared at the Mthatha magistrate’s court on Wednesday.
The brazen early-morning attack happened at the Ngangelizwe police station holding cells in Mthatha on August 13, where Maqungo had been held following his arrest over the illegal possession of a firearm.
Although Nkopo, 32, and Msenge, 37, were arrested on August 16 and 17, police have kept the news under wraps, dodging the media and not talking of the arrest or any kind of progress in the case.
In the attack, four gunmen, wearing balaclavas, armed with two pistols and two rifles, entered the Community Service Centre (CSC), holding two police officials at gunpoint.
The gunmen ordered the two police officials to lie on the floor and then bound their hands.
The suspects then demanded the police station jail cell and safe keys – which were kept with the police officials in the charge office. Two gunmen guarded the two police officers in the CSC, while the other two suspects went to the cells.
Maqungo, who had been arrested in the Ngcobo area in July 29, was shot and killed inside the cell.
After killing Maqungo, the gunmen threw the cell keys to the other prisoners in the cells but they did not flee.
During the brazen attack, no police firearms were stolen nor were the officers injured and none of the four other awaiting trial prisoners was injured.
Maqungo had been due to appear in the Ngcobo magistrate’s court for a bail hearing on the day he was shot.
National police spokesperson colonel Brenda Muridili, as well as SAPS national communications spokesperson brigadier Vish Naidoo ignored smses and e-mails sent to them enquiring about progress made in the case.
The arrests were only confirmed when the Daily Dispatch questioned national deputy commissioner Lt-Gen Bonang Mogwenya and Eastern Cape provincial commissioner LtGen Liziwe Ntshinga during a women’s event held in Mthatha last week.
In the media briefing, Mogwenya tasked Ntshinga to respond to the Dispatch query.
“Yes, I can confirm that two suspects have been arrested and the case is under investigation,” said Ntshinga at the time, although she refused to give any further details.
It is believed the case is being handled by the Hawks and provincial taxi violence task team.
Because the attorney of one of the accused was not in court, the case was postponed to September 11 for a formal bail application.
The Ngangelizwe police station has in recent years had five cars, which were kept in the police yard as evidence, burnt.
Also, 23 firearms were found to have been stolen from the police safe.
Muridili said allegations that police were involved in Maqungo’s murder were being investigated.
Police have kept the news under wraps, not talking of the arrest