It seems criminals have little regard for human life

The mind-boggling gory details of a Vosloorus-based eSwatini national and traditional healer, Thokozani Msibi, together with Mfanasibili Gamedze (who died while in detention in eSwatini for the same crime), accused of the brutal murder of a woman and her nephews with albinism in Emalahleni, Witbank, and throwing the body of a 15-month baby over a bridge into the river in January 2018 played itself out in the Middleburg High Court last week.

Firstly, the prison vehicle transporting Msibi from Kgoshi Mampuru Prison in Pretoria to the High Court in Middleburg broke down 40km away and forced the trial to be postponed. Secondly, when Msibi’s prison transport finally made it to the court, the accused was immediately in a two-hour consultation with his lawyer, Werner Smit.

Smith later informed the high court judge, Heinrich Brauckmann, that he would no longer be representing his client but refused to disclose his reasons for the termination of his services.

Evidence led in court so far revealed that under Msibi’s command of the alleged murder started one summer night in January 2018 at the home of Gabisile Shabane in the township of eMalahleni where she was asleep with two of her nephews and a baby boy, Nkosikhona Ngwenya, who was only 15 months old at the time.

Gabisile and her nephews were awakened by a chaotic commotion inside the house as unknown armed attackers pounced on the trio and bundled them into an unknown vehicle before disappearing into the night.

The court heard that Gabisile and her nephews were known to be living with albinism. But the 15-month-old toddler, who was kidnapped with them, did not have albinism.

According to evidence presented in court, when the kidnappers realised the toddler did not have albinism, they planned to get rid of him. Once they reached a bridge under which there was a flowing river, they tossed him in the river and continued driving.

Shabane’s mutilated body and some of her organs, including her genitals, ovaries, arms and head, were removed. Her killing was believed to have been muti-related.

Msibi is considered to be an integral part of solving Shabane’s murder. According to evidence presented in court, some of her body parts were allegedly found in his home days after she went missing.

“We were just disagreeing on facts. I’d tell him this and he’d tell me something else,” said Msibi about his two-hour chat with his lawyer.

Both Shabane and Ngwenya’s bodies were found on February 20, 2018. The little boy’s body had already decomposed in the river. His post-mortem report found “no anatomical cause of death”, while Shabane’s post-mortem report concluded, “cannot be determined” because of her missing organs.

It is sad that criminals have so little regard for human life.