Son denies killing stepmom

2003-09-22 21:15

Durban - A bid for freedom by the eldest son of Joseph Tshabalala, leader of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who is accused of murdering his stepmother, was denied by a Durban judge on Monday.

Vivian Shabalala has pleaded not guilty. His murder of Neli Shabalala was over "competing interest" for his pioneer musician father's support, said senior state advocate David Damerell.

In the dock with Shabalala is Mboneni Mdunge, who also pleaded not guilty before Judge Brian Galgut and two assessors. Shabalala is currently on bail, while Mdunge is in custody.

Galgut denied an application made by defence advocate Jan Venter to discharge his client.

Earlier the court ruled as inadmissible a statement the court initially accepted from a witness, Themba Hadebe, who implicated Vivian Shabalala and could no longer be traced. Hadebe is part of the Junior Mambazos.

At the time of her death, Neli Shabalala was with her husband and two friends. The two were attending a church service in Claremont. She was shot several times. At first police suspected her death was a foiled hijacking but two weeks later, her stepson was arrested and charged.

'All lies'

According to the State, Vivian Tshabalala, the leader of another music group, Junior Mambazo, allegedly arranged for his elderly stepmother's killing in May last year because her musical group, Women of Mambazo, was favoured over his group.

She is alleged to have been killed in an "assassination" on the orders of Vivian Tshabalala who allegedly paid a hitman to kill her, the indictment reads.

Mambazo featured on Paul Simon's Graceland tour and records.

A sombre Vincent Tshabalala took the witness stand later on Monday and said that, on the day his stepmother was killed he was busy at a recording studio in central Durban.

"This is all lies," he said responding to State's allegation that he arranged for her killing.

"She was a mother to me. I never said she was my stepmother. I regarded her as my mother. Like a mother she gave me a number of things," he said.

He told the court that she had given him an expensive BMW vehicle, and his father and her bought him a house in Pinetown.

He had no reason to kill her. She and other sponsors had been making arrangements for his group's tour overseas at the time of her death.

The trial continues.

- SAPA