Survivor weeps recalling grisly murder

A WITNESS testifying yesterday at the Durban High Court wept as he recalled how fetching music CDs saved his life during the gruesome murder of three of his friends.

Mzwandile Zungu was giving evidence in the murder trial of Phindakuphi Nzama, 26, and his younger brother Anele.

The two brothers are charged with killing three friends during a robbery in March 2014 in KwaMashu township, Durban.

The accused allegedly ambushed and killed Sthembiso Makhathini, Anele Kubheka and Vusi Biyela.

They allegedly also robbed them of money and cellphones before stabbing them, doused them with petrol and set them alight.

Zungu told the court he was left behind to fetch the CDs which were to be played at their friend’s 21st birthday while the deceased proceeded to the local garage to buy petrol.

“We all agreed that I should stay behind and compile songs that I was going to play during the event. Since I also DJ they preferred me to do it. Compiling songs took about thirty minutes and I then waited for them,” said Zungu.

He was responding to a question by prosecutor Kelvin Singh who asked him to relay to the court how he was left behind while his friends went to the garage.

“I don’t know how I agreed to stay behind because wherever we went, we went together. They were supposed to fetch me at home ... I was worried because I had waited more than an hour.

“I then went to look for them [and] met residents who told me they had been set alight and killed.

“I saw two of the deceased ... severely burnt. They lay there motionless,” said a weeping Zungu.

Makhathini and Kubheka died on the scene, while Biyela died on his way to hospital. The Nzama brothers have pleaded not guilty to murder.