Pietermaritzburg judge slams accused in Memela family massacre case
The crime scene where ten members of the Memela family were shot dead while they were asleep in Imbali Unit 14, in Pietermaritzburg. The two men accused of the crime have been accused of delaying tactics after the postponement of the trial this week at the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
Image: BONGANI HANS
The judge presiding over the mass murder case of ten members of the Memela family in Unit 14 in Imbali, Pietermaritzburg, has strongly reprimanded the two accused over repeated delays that have plagued the trial.
Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Nontuthuzelo Mlaba on Tuesday ordered Thembelani Mbatha and convicted serial killer Thabo Mathonsi Chonco to “get their house in order” after the matter was once again delayed.
Chonco is already serving five life sentences for the 2023 murder of the Mbambo family in Gobho-Gobho, Impendle, in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. He is also a co-accused, alongside Mbatha and Nxamala Traditional Authority leader Inkosi Simphiwe Zuma, in the murder of uMngeni Local Municipality DA chief whip Nhlalayenza Ndlovu, who was gunned down in front of his wife and children in 2023.
Chonco and Mbatha were arrested three years ago for the Imbali killings, but the case has been beset by numerous postponements. Although it was set down for trial this week, proceedings were stalled when Chonco requested additional time to consult with his legal team.
According to Isolezwe, the Sunday Tribune’s sister publication, Chonco had indicated a desire to change his not guilty plea for the Memela family murders, but his legal representative was not entirely in agreement.
Chonco reportedly reconsidered his stance after being sentenced to five life terms for the Mbambo family murders, along with an additional 15 years for armed robbery. He is also expected to plead guilty in the murder of DA councillor Ndlovu, whose case has since been transferred from the Howick Magistrate’s Court to the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court.
MASS murder convict, Thabo Mathonsi Chonco, has been accused by Pietermaritzburg High Court judge of causing delays in another mass murder case of the Memela family in Imbali township which has been postponed to later this year.
Image: File
The State accused Chonco of deliberately delaying the proceedings. Prosecutor Attie Trutor told the court that the matter had been trial-ready for some time.
“We started preparing for this trial a long time ago. In 2024, there was a meeting where all parties agreed that we were ready to proceed. Until today, there has been continued delay,” Trutor said. He added that several witnesses are in the witness protection programme and that prolonged delays significantly increase the cost and complexity of ensuring their safety.
Judge Mlaba echoed the State’s frustration, warning the accused that further delays would not be tolerated.
“We must finalise this trial. If there are discussions that need to take place between you and your lawyers, those discussions must happen now so that the trial is not delayed further,” she said.
The matter was postponed to August 24, 2026, with the trial set to run until September 18, 2026. Legal representatives for Chonco and Mbatha indicated that they would be ready to proceed on those dates.