The deceased, Kholwani Cele of Koffie Farm, near KwaNdengezi, who went missing in October last year coming from work in Northdene. A neighbour who befriended him appeared virtually with two co-accused on Monday from Westville Prison.
Image: SUPPLIED
The mystery surrounding the whereabouts of a murder docket has led to another postponement in the murder trial involving a KwaNdengezi man whose body was discovered in the uMngeni River last year.
Kholwani Cele, 34, of Koffee Farm in KwaNdengezi, west of Durban, was allegedly brutally assaulted before his body was tied to a rock and dumped in the river. He was last seen alive on October 23 after leaving work at Clover’s Northdene plant.
In January, Cele’s neighbour, Sibongiseni Johannes Mbhele, was arrested in connection with the murder. Two other local men, Siboniso Phungula and Bongumusa Mkhonto, were later arrested for allegedly assisting him.
During proceedings at the Pinetown Magistrates Court on Monday, the State requested a postponement to allow for further investigations. It emerged during the hearing that the location of the murder docket was currently unknown.
This is reportedly not the first time the docket has gone missing. During a previous postponement, it was allegedly with a psychologist who had been evaluating Mbhele.
Questions around Mbhele’s fitness to stand trial had previously arisen after it was revealed that he had allegedly suffered from mental health challenges in the past.
Magistrate Wendolyn Robinson postponed the matter to May 29.
The accused appeared virtually from Westville prison, where they remain in custody awaiting trial, and did not physically attend court.
Members of the Cele family expressed surprise at the revelation that the docket’s whereabouts were unknown. However, they said they currently had no complaints about the handling of the case and remained committed to attending all court proceedings.
Cele had been missing for nearly three months before police investigations allegedly linked Mbhele to the case. According to information presented during the investigation, Mbhele allegedly made a confession.
Following the alleged confession, police and members of the Cele family reportedly went to the location where the body had allegedly been dumped, and the remains were subsequently recovered from the uMngeni River.
The Cele family said they were devastated to learn that their neighbour, who had reportedly been close to the deceased and often visited him socially, was allegedly involved in the murder.
Family members also recalled that Mbhele had disappeared from the area shortly after Cele was reported missing.
The family has rejected claims that Cele was killed because of an alleged extramarital affair involving Mbhele’s wife. They said they hope the court process will ultimately reveal the true motive behind the killing.
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