Start of trial postponed in case of Gqeberha woman accused of ordering hit on husband

A Gqeberha woman and her alleged accomplice accused of conspiring to kill her estranged husband appeared briefly in the city’s high court yesterday, when their trial was meant to start.

Senior state advocate Marius Stander told the court he had been asked to stand in for his colleague, who was ill, so the matter would have to be postponed.

Anichaa Ntoto, 31, is accused of paying Lubabalo Maseti, 30, R3,000 to kill her husband, Mcolisi Mguqulwa.

Mguqulwa was shot dead in his New Brighton home on November 24 2021.

His friend, Mihlali Sigana, who was at the Stokwe Street property on the night of the shooting, was also killed.

The two accused face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of murder, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

It is alleged Ntoto conspired to kill Mguqulwa after they separated following numerous arguments fuelled by jealousy.

According to the state, in the weeks leading up to the murder of Ntoto’s husband, she and Maseti had allegedly colluded to have him killed.

It is alleged Ntoto, and others on her behalf, had threatened Mguqulwa several times, resulting in him fearing for his life and even fleeing the city.

On the day of the murders, Mguqulwa, Sigana and others were at the Stokwe Street property watching television when Maseti and an unknown person entered the house at about 8.20pm looking for Mguqulwa.

According to the indictment, Maseti and his accomplice left the property momentarily before allegedly returning and shooting Mguqulwa and Sigana. They then fled.

Before the shooting, Ntoto and Maseti had allegedly contacted each other at least 14 times, and again twice after the shooting.

It is further alleged that the next day Ntoto made an electronic transfer of R3,000 into a Capitec bank account of a woman whose banking details were given to her by Maseti.

Ntoto was arrested on February 15 2022, and later released on bail. Maseti was arrested on September 6 2022 and has been in custody since.

The trial is now expected to get under way on Friday.