Durban — Two women along with their co-accused appeared before the Durban High Court on Thursday each charged in connection with the murder of their husbands in two separate cases.
Even though the two cases are unrelated, both murdered husbands were employed by the eThekwini Municipality.
Jabulani Richard Mchunu, 50, an eThekwini firefighter, was shot and killed by assailants at his Luganda home, near Pinetown, in April 2022.
His wife, 30-year-old Gugu Mchunu, a teacher, is alleged to have enlisted the assailants allegedly with the help of her lover and co-accused, 30-year-old Lindani Phungula.
Metro police officer Captain Zwelakhe Thomas Ntombela was shot and killed in his uMlazi home by hitman Mandlenkosi Mzo Ntombela allegedly hired by his wife, Faith Ntombela, an uMlazi court employee, in April last year.
On Thursday, a new pretrial date was set for Mchunu and Phungula, who are now out on bail after being previously denied bail.
Last year, the duo’s pretrial was concluded where Legal Aid represented Phungula, while Mchunu was represented privately.
The teacher now has a new private attorney on record, meaning that the pretrial conference must be done again.
On Thursday in court, State prosecutor advocate BN Mbokazi asked that the pretrial conference be held on July 25 as Mchunu now had a new attorney who needed time to consult.
Meanwhile, Faith Ntombela’s pretrial will also be heard on July 25. On Thursday, she appeared with her lover, who is a sentenced prisoner, Khulani Cele, and Sithembiso Justice Khumalo, a school principal, when the pretrial date was set.
Of the three accused, Khumalo is the only one on bail.
“I’m not sure if this had been part of accused 3’s bail condition that he have no contact with State witnesses, but the State asks that the court today endorses for accused 3 not to communicate with any of the State witnesses. We have proof of this, the State is mulling over whether to cancel his bail or prosecute him,” said senior State prosecutor advocate Krishen Shah.
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