The trial within a trial for six men accused of the mass murder of 18 people in Lusikisiki has been adjourned until Wednesday due to noisy weather conditions in the courtroom. A new witness, police officer Zonwabele Mpofana, testified via video link about arresting two of the accused. Mpofana denied claims of assault during the arrests.
In the Mthatha High Court sitting in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, proceedings in the trial within a trial were suspended on Monday due to inclement weather that caused noise in the courtroom. The case involves six men accused of the mass murder of 18 people in Lusikisiki in 2024.
The state introduced a new witness, police officer Zonwabele Mpofana, who provided testimony via video link. Mpofana detailed the arrest of two suspects—accused number two, Aphiwe Ndende, and accused number four, Bonga Hintsa—in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal. He explained that police acted on information from an informant indicating the men were hiding in the Mkholombe informal settlement after a photo of them circulated on social media.
Officers located the suspects while they were sleeping and took them into custody without incident, according to Mpofana. He firmly denied allegations that the accused were assaulted or ill-treated during the arrest process.
The trial has been postponed until Wednesday to resume proceedings. This development follows earlier stages of the case, where families of the victims expressed hope for justice.