From prison to two courtrooms: KZN mass murderer Chonco's extraordinary legal day
CONVICTED mass murderer Thabo Chonco who is already serving five life sentences for the mass murder of a Mbambo family in Bulwer, appeared in two separate courts on the same day on Monday for the murder of ten members of the Memela family in Mbali at the Pietermaritzburg High Court and was later moved to the city's regional court for the murder of DA chief whip Nhlalayenza Ndlovu.
Image: File
Monday marked an extraordinary day in court for Thabo Chonco, a convicted mass murderer who is also facing trial for the murder of uMngeni Municipality DA chief whip Nhlalayenza Ndlovu.
Chonco, 26, is accused, together with Inkosi Simphiwe Zuma, 55, of orchestrating the December 2023 killing of Ndlovu, who was gunned down in front of his wife and young children at his home in eMasosheni near Mpophomeni, outside Howick.
Despite being incarcerated at the time, Chonco is alleged to have masterminded the assassination. On Monday, he appeared in two separate courts in Pietermaritzburg, where he faces three murder charges.
He first appeared in the Pietermaritzburg High Court in connection with the 2023 mass murder of members of the Memela family in Mbali township. That matter was postponed.
COUNCILLOR Nhlalayenza Ndlovu, the DA’s Chief Whip in uMngeni Municipality who was gunned down at his home in front of his family in eMasosheni, near Mpophomeni, Howick.
Image: Supplied
Chonco was then taken to the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court, where he faces murder charges relating to Ndlovu and community activist Xolani Ntombela (also known as Ndlovu). Both cases were transferred last week from the Howick Magistrate’s Court to the regional court.
During a previous appearance in the Ndlovu murder case, Chonco indicated his willingness to plead guilty. Monday marked his first appearance on the matter in the regional court, where the cases were postponed to February 20, 2026.
INKOSI Simphiwe Zuma, who is facing three murder charges at the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court will return to court later this month. One of the murders, the killing of a DA councillor who was his nephew was cracked by the Political Killings Task Team when Zuma was out on bail for the muder of his cousin an induna under the Nxamalala Traditional Authority.
Image: SABELO NSELE
Chonco was in October 2025 convicted for the murder of five people at a Mbambo family homestead in the Gobho-Gobho area in Bulwer. He was sentenced to five life terms for the mass murder last month. He was also handed a 15-year prison sentence for armed robbery.
He appeared in court under heavy guard, with prison warders escorting him in handcuffs secured to a waist chain.
Inkosi Zuma also made a brief appearance in the regional court, where his cases were similarly postponed to February 20, 2026.
KWANXAMALALA Traditional Authority induna Qalokunye Zuma who was allegedly murdered outside his home in Impendle. His cousin Inkosi Simphiwe Zuma is facing trial for his murder.
Image: Supplied
The traditional leader of the Nxamalala Traditional Authority faces three murder charges for the killing of his nephew, DA councillor Ndlovu, and for the murder of community activist Ntombela.
He is also charged with the murder of his cousin, Qalokunye Zuma, a headman within the same traditional authority in Impendle.
Inkosi Zuma was denied bail in the Ndlovu murder case and has been in custody for more than six months after his arrest by the Political Killings Task Team in July 2025. He had previously been out on bail in the case relating to the murder of his cousin, who served as his induna.
On Monday, the regional court was filled with members of the Ndlovu family, DA supporters and members of the Zuma family.The other co-accused in the Ndlovu murder, Thobani Masobho Hlongwa, 31, and Khayelihle Shabalala, 31, were not present in court. Inkosi Zuma’s co-accused in the Ntombela murder, Thembelani Mbatha, was also absent.