No bail for pastors accused of killing Abahlali baseMjondolo member

Two pastors charged with killing an Abahlali baseMjondolo (ABM) member were denied bail on Tuesday.

Brothers Mhlanganelo Ngubane, 70, and Samson Ngubane, 59, appeared in a packed Durban Magistrate’s Court for a ruling on their bail application.

They were arrested in July over the murder of Nokuthula Mabaso, an activist of ABM. They are both charged with one count of pre-meditated murder and one count of aggravated robbery.

According to a police report, on 5 May Mabaso was at an ABM community meeting at eKhanana informal settlement in Durban.

She left to go home and on her way back was shot four times in the back and her cellphone was stolen. She died on the scene.

Sergeant Godfrey Goss, the investigating officer, testified during the bail application that on 19 July two eyewitnesses identified the Ngubane brothers as being behind Mabaso’s killing.

The witnesses, Goss said, saw the brothers firing at Mabaso and taking her phone afterwards. Goss said there was bad blood between Mabaso and the brothers as they had once held a bush knife to her face.

In his testimony, Goss said he was opposed to the brothers being given bail as they would intimidate the witnesses. In their affidavits, the brothers said they intended to plead not guilty.

They denied knowing Mabaso and said they did not know the state witnesses.

The brothers said they handed themselves over at Cato Manor police station after hearing that police were looking for them.

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