Two more men will join the four other accused in the Lusikisiki mass murder. Seventeen people died in a hail of bullets when gunmen opened fire at two homesteads in Lusikisiki last month. An 18th victim died in hospital hours later. File photo.Image: Lulamile Feni

Two men to be added to four accused in Lusikisiki mass murder case

by · SowetanLIVE

The case of two men arrested in possession of four firearms suspected to have been used in the Lusikisiki mass murders was on Monday transferred from Flagstaff to the Lusikisiki magistrate's court, where they will join the four others accused of the murders.   

Zenande Paya, 38, and Mawethu Nomdlembu, 36, were initially charged with four counts of unlawful possession of three AK47 assault rifles, a 243 Steyr Mannlicher rifle and 82 rounds of ammunition.

Paya and Nomdlembu were arrested in Flagstaff on Thursday in possession of the rifles and ammunition that were allegedly moved to other locations after the Lusikisiki killings on September 28. 

“They appeared briefly in court on Monday and their case has been remanded to Thursday, where they will be formally joined by the four men who have been charged with the murder of 18 people,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said. 

Siphosoxolo Myekethe, 45, Aphiwe “AP” Ndende, 25, Lwando Antony Abi, 33, and Bonga Hintsa, 31, abandoned their bail applications last week. They face 18 counts of murder and one of possession of an unlicensed firearm, an AK47 assault rifle.

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