Two more men to be added in the Lusikisiki mass killings

21 October 2024

The case of two men arrested in possession of four firearms suspected to have been used during the Lusikisiki attack has been transferred from Flagstaff to Lusikisiki Magistrates' Court, for them to be joined to the four others. Zenande Paya (38) and Mawethu Nomdlembu (36), were initially charged with four counts of unlawful possession of three AK47 assault rifles and a 243 Steyr Mannlicher rifle as well as possession of 82 live rounds of ammunition. They appeared briefly in court today and their case has been remanded to Thursday 24 October 2024, where they will be formally joined by the four men who have been charged with the murder of 18 people.

The four men have all abandoned their bail application in the Lusikisiki Magistrates' Court. Siphosoxolo Myekethe (45), Aphiwe "AP" Ndende (25), Lwando Antony Abi (33) and Bonga Hintsa (31) join Siphosoxolo Myekethe are all facing 18 charges of murder and one count of possession of an unlicensed firearm, an AK47 assault rifle. Following their arrests, Paya and Nomdlwambu were arrested in Flagstaff on 17 October 2024, in possession of the four rifles and ammunition that were allegedly moved to other locations after the Lusikisiki killings on 28 September 2024 in Ngobozana village.

Two of the men, Ndende and Hintsa were arrested in Port Shepstone while Abi was apprehended in East London on Wednesday 16 October 2024. Myekethe was arrested on 07 October 2024 at his home in Mthimde Location, Mamfengwini Area in the district of Lusikisiki. Their arrest comes after the shooting that occurred on 28 September 2024, at two neighbouring homesteads in Ngobozana Village near the town of Lusikisiki, where eighteen people were killed, and five others were injured.

Issued by Luxolo Tyali, NPA Regional Spokesperson, Eastern Cape Division, 21 October 2024