Dead cop's charge withdrawn

2003-03-27 15:17

Zenzele Kuhlase

White River - Charges have been officially withdrawn against a dead Mpumalanga policeman who was implicated in the murder of a primary school principal.

Inspector Rodney Sibuyi, 40, of KaNyamazane police station near Nelspruit fell ill shortly after he paid R5 000 bail on March 8. He was rushed to hospital where he died of natural causes the following day.

KaBokweni magistrate's court struck Sibuyi's charge of defeating the ends of justice from the court roll on Wednesday during the appearance of his co-accused, Maswazi Thami Thwala, 28, and Rat Vilakazi, 20.

Thwala and Vilakazi were not asked to plead on charges of murder, hijacking, and the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

The case was postponed to March 31 for the continuation of their bail applications.

The two men are accused of killing Tiboneleni primary school principal Lucy Lushaba, 47, on December 21 last year and then hiding out at Sibuyi's house.

Forced to drive to game reserve

The principal's murder sparked outrage and attracted the attention of safety and security MEC Thabang Makwetla, who attended a court appearance at which placard-waving women demanded the men not be granted bail.

Lushaba, her two children and an older woman had stopped at the school in Daantjie outside Nelspruit during the holidays to make sure everything was in order.

Two armed suspects leapt out at them and forced Lushaba to drive them to nearby Mthethomusha game reserve.

They shot her during an argument, dumped her children and the older woman, and sped off to KaBokweni where they abandoned her car and hijacked another man.

They were arrested two days later at Sibuyi's house after police received a tip-off.

Sibuyi was arrested for allegedly harbouring the two men. Their firearms were allegedly found in Sibuyi's vehicle. - African Eye News Service

- News24