Details of a preplanned hijacking and abduction of two innocent university students – one of whom was later murdered – emerged in the Port Elizabeth High Court on Tuesday after a statement given to police by a teenage accused was ruled admissible as evidence.
In the statement, the 18year-old – whom judge Elna Revelas ruled may not be identified in the media – painted a picture of the alleged events which led up to the August 13 2016 murder of Thabang Ngwekazi, 28, and the brutal assault and rape of his then 22year-old girlfriend.
Following a trial within a trial to determine the admissibility of the statement – given to police on the day the teen was arrested – details of how he along with four others had actively been looking for a VW Polo to steal were revealed.
According to the teenager’s statement, on the day of the attack he had been drinking at a tavern in New Brighton along with a man identified only as Fish, another identified as Mbiwe, co-accused Xola Njoloza, 27, and Thulani Jusaya, 20.
“Fish told us that there was somebody looking for a Polo, and he further told us that when we get this Polo we will take it to the person who had approached him and sell the car to him and that person would pay us money which we will share among us,” the teenager said in the statement.
“Fish further showed us a small handgun and stated that the firearm would be used in hijacking this Polo he was talking about.”
The teenager claimed that at about 7pm on August 13 the group had finished drinking and decided to drive to the Port Elizabeth city centre in search of a Polo.
As they passed the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, they noticed a Polo parked in Prince Alfred Road with two occupants, a man and a woman.
“Fish indicated to me that this was the Polo we were looking for,” the teenager said.
“Fish parked our car opposite this car and we all decided that we should rob this car from this couple.”
Fish then pulled out his firearm, pointed it at the driver, Ngwekazi, and demanded the keys.
The teenager said he and Jusaya then instructed the woman passenger to get into the boot of the car, which she did.
Fish then forced Ngwekazi into the boot.
According to the teenager, Fish and Jusaya climbed into the Polo while the other three got back into their car and drove off in the direction of New Brighton with the teenager behind the wheel.
“When we were near SPAR in New Brighton, I noticed that the Polo driven by Fish was not behind us,” the teenager said.
Njoloza, Mbiwe and he then went to a nearby tavern and continued drinking before he eventually went to his girlfriend’s house nearby.
While he was at the girlfriend’s house, the teenager claimed, Fish and Jusaya pitched up in the stolen Polo.
He said when he inquired about what had happened to the occupants, he was informed that they had both been shot dead.
“Fish told me that he had shot both the occupants of the Polo at Carbon Black Sea,” he said.
The teen and Njoloza have been charged with murder, two counts of kidnapping and two of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Last week, Jusaya pleaded guilty to a litany of charges in connection with the incident, including two counts of rape.
However, he denied any involvement in the murder of Ngwekazi.
Ngwekazi’s body was recovered later in the surf at Brighton Beach with a gunshot wound to his head and left wrist.
His girlfriend was dropped off in Central after the ordeal.
The case continues.