‘ATM bombers had an arsenal of weapons’
The accused, who have plead not guilty to 31 charges, were arrested near Jozini in January 2013 with ammunition and explosives in their possession.
|||Durban - ATM bombers killed two bystanders and a policeman, and also injured several people during a series of crimes.
The Pietermaritzburg High Court was on Friday told by ballistics expert Captain Evette Claasen that spent cartridge cases from AK47s and an R5 had been found at the crime scenes. Shots were fired in two ATM bombings in Howick, and one in Nottingham Road. The 10 accused face three charges of murder.
In Utrecht, Bongakule Nkosi and Sizwe Gule were shot dead when they happened on the scene of a bombing at 2.15am on their way to work. Pietermaritzburg dog handler SAP Constable Vidhur Jadu was killed when he and colleagues tried to arrest the bombers after an attempted ATM robbery at Midmar Dam.
The accused also face charges of attempted murder in relation to policemen Philani Kunene, Sithembiso Ngcobo, and Livingstone Mpangase.
In Nottingham Road Tafadzwa Chapwanya was shot in the stomach when he investigated the cause of an explosion after midnight. And in Howick, Alex Zondi was shot in the ankle. His wife Thulisile and their six-year-old son narrowly escaped injury when their vehicle was shot at and it overturned. In Greytown, security guard Alexis Ndlovu’s car was riddled with bullets.
Apart from damage to buildings and fixtures, the indictment lists amounts of R214 280 taken in Nottingham Road, R241 000 in Howick, R500 000 in Greytown, R153 750 in Merrivale and R116 000 at Utrecht.
Heidi Rohrs, owner of the Utrecht building where the ATM was blown 30m from the wall, told the court the structural damage had amounted to R150 000.
The accused, who have plead not guilty to 31 charges, were arrested near Jozini in January 2013 with ammunition and explosives in their possession.
The accused are Thembela Ngubane 27, Menziwa Mdakane 28, Sifiso Mdakane 32, Sifiso Khubeka 28, Sibongiseni Msibi 33, Sphelele Dubaznae, 27, all of Bergville, Siphiwe Mabizela, 34, Muthikabane Buthelezi, 31, and Mthenjwa Buthelezi 27 of Ladysmith, and Lungisani Dladla 32 of Keate’s Drift.
Independent on Saturday