Witness speaks on Mbembesi murder

RECENTLY friends and family met at the family homestead in Nqakala Village, Mbembesi where they were honouring the life of 31-year-old Vukile Nkomo killed on 13 August by a neighbour.

Police said, Nkomo - a father of three- was hacked to death with a machete and was buried on 16 August.

With the help of an eye witness, Xolani Ndlelambi police were able to identify the man who attacked and killed Nkomo as well as his cohort in the crime.

Police identified the killer as Sithembelani Tshuma while the eye witness also placed David Mguni (28) on the scene although he did not physically participate in the attack.

As Sunday News carried out its investigation into the heinous murder, it has been revealed that the suspect who is 23 years old is in fact named Thembelani Ngwenya and uses Tshuma as an alias.

“I saw the man who killed my cousin, Vukile. I saw him do it while his friend, David Mguni watched,” Ndlelambi said as he narrated the full details of the harrowing experience on that Saturday night.

“We were walking back home after we had been drinking at the shops when we met Thembelani and David. Thembelani was brandishing a machete while David was holding an empty bottle. They accosted us along a footpath before Thembelani accused Vukile of sending his younger brother, Mkhululi to beat them up.

“Vukile denied that but Thembelani began to attack him with the machete while David looked on,” Ndlelambi continued.

According to Ndlelambi, Tshuma/ Ngwenya first slashed Nkomo on the left side of the neck before hacking him four times across the chest and then having a go at his legs. He said he tried to calm him down but he would not listen and eventually Ndlelambi ran away to go and seek help. When he returned with a few more people, Nkomo’s assailant had run away leaving his victim lying in a pool of blood.

“During the attack, I think David realised what they had done and ran away, saying he hadn’t killed anyone,” said Ndlelambi.

The deceased’s younger brother, Mkhululi also narrated how a fight in a bar over choice of music quickly escalated into the murder of his brother.

The visibly distraught Mkhululi revealed that the reason for his brother’s murder was a fight he was involved in with the murderer’s cohort, Mguni.

“Earlier that night, I got involved in a fight with David which eventually escalated and led to my brother’s death,” said Mkhululi.

“I was in a bar with my brother and cousin and we were all drinking. David was also there with Thembelani and although he was not drinking with us, he had sips here and there because we all know each other. We all grew up together and we are all neighbours.

“While we were drinking, I asked David who was like the DJ on the night to change the music and he got a little agitated. There had been an earlier incident that forced the local police to come and close down the bar and when they arrived, David slapped me supposedly over our earlier disagreement and I hit hm back.

“We left the bar and as we walking home, David and Thembelani came after me and began assaulting me. Thembelani had a knobkerrie while David held an empty beer bottle. They managed to get me down and while they held me down, one of them tried to crash my head with a large rock. I’m not sure which of the two because it was night time,” narrated Mkhululi.

The younger Nkomo said he managed to escape and hide from the attacking duo who then armed themselves with a machete and a small axe before they turned back heading towards the shops and met Vukile and his cousin, Ndlelambi which led to the former’s death.

The Nkomo family is also unhappy with Tshuma/Ngwenya’s uncle, Jairos Mpofu who took in the suspect’s belongings when he made good his escape.

They claim that Mpofu came to their homestead and told them that his nephew had confessed to him that he had killed Vukile and wanted to run away. The family believes he is hiding away in Inyathi where his wife works while they believe Mguni is hiding in the Kombo area of Mbembesi with his sister.

Both Tshuma/Ngwenya and Mguni are still at large. — @RealSimbaJemwa