R30,000 Blood Money: New Twist in the Murder of ANC Veteran Zibuse Mlaba

R30,000 Blood Money: New Twist in the Murder of ANC Veteran Zibuse Mlaba

In KwaZulu-Natal’s long, grim history of political killings, few cases have carried as many layers of betrayal as the ongoing Zibuse Mlaba murder trial, a story that now reads like something out of a crime thriller.

Prosecutors allege that Mzamo Duncan Mlaba, 63, not only ordered the hit on his cousin, ANC veteran Zibuse Mlaba, but later paid R30,000 to have the very hitman he hired killed, all to silence him.

The explosive revelations surfaced in the Umlazi Magistrates’ Court, where Mzamo is seeking bail while facing charges related to the murders of both Zibuse and the alleged assassin, Mncedisi Gwala.

A Deadly Family Feud

The case has shocked KwaZulu-Natal’s political circles. Zibuse Mlaba, the chief regent of KwaXimba in Camperdown and a respected member of the ANC’s provincial legislature, was gunned down on October 21, 2021, at the Wareing’s Shopping Centre in Cato Ridge.

According to the State, Mzamo paid R130,000 for the hit allegedly motivated by personal and political tensions within the extended Mlaba family. But when word reached him that Gwala, the hitman, had begun “singing like a bird” while in prison, the plot allegedly took a darker turn.

Prosecutor: “You Paid for His Bail and His Death”

During cross-examination, prosecutor Sanele Ntombela told the court that Mzamo orchestrated Gwala’s assassination after hearing he was talking about the 2021 killing.

Ntombela said Mzamo arranged for Gwala’s bail and then funded a R30,000 payment for his murder money allegedly channeled through Fortune Dlamini, one of three Section 204 witnesses who have agreed to testify for the State in exchange for possible immunity.

Dlamini, according to prosecutors, was the middleman who recruited two men Mduduzi Ngubane and Khanyisani Dlamini to kill Gwala upon his release.

“You got wind that Gwala was talking in prison about his involvement in the murder of Zibuse,” Ntombela said in court. “You then arranged with Dlamini for Gwala’s bail and for him to be killed upon his release. Can you comment on that?”

Mzamo’s answer was cold and brief: “I don’t know anything.”

Guilty Pleas Strengthen the State’s Case

The court heard that Nhlanhla Hlongwa, Gwala’s nephew and a co-accused in the original murder, had recently pleaded guilty to killing Zibuse. His plea, prosecutors say, corroborates Dlamini’s statement that the plan to assassinate Zibuse was hatched at Mzamo’s home.

Hlongwa received 15 years in prison, while Dlamini was sentenced to 18 years after admitting his role in the plot.

Still, Mzamo has denied any involvement, insisting he only knew Dlamini not Gwala or Hlongwa. “I usually helped Zibuse with money,” he told the court. “There was never any conflict between us.”

Political Murders and the KZN Curse

KwaZulu-Natal’s political landscape has long been haunted by assassinations, often over power, money, or tender disputes. The killing of Zibuse Mlaba, a seasoned ANC leader and traditional figure, has become yet another symbol of the dangerous intersection between politics and loyalty in the province.

On social media, South Africans have expressed both outrage and fatigue. “It’s always the same story, comrades killing comrades,” wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter). “How do we talk about renewal when betrayal runs this deep?”

As Mzamo Mlaba’s bail hearing continues, prosecutors remain confident that the testimony from multiple witnesses,  including those who’ve already served their sentences, will seal the State’s case.

But for the Mlaba family and the people of KwaXimba, the pain runs deeper than politics or courtrooms. It’s the kind of story that forces communities to ask hard questions:
What is a life worth and when did blood ties stop mattering in South African politics?

{Source: IOL}

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