Ngombane: Charges in 2006

2005-12-15 12:27

Bloemfontein - Formal charges against the five people accused of murdering Free State official Noby Ngombane would be served on them only in February, the Bloemfontein magistrate's court heard on Thursday.

At the moment, Ngombane's wife, Nokwanda, her brother Bongani, sister Thanthiswa and cousins Vuyokasi Mlambo and Sephumle Booi face provisional charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice.

Magistrate M Nokwali has postponed the matter to March 13 next year for trial in the Bloemfontein High Court.

The five accused's legal representative Willem Edeling said the State had indicated that indictments would be served on February 3.

"We will also receive the investigating team's docket in January next year," Edeling said.

The magistrate's court on Thursday lifted some of the bail conditions for the five to enable them to visit their family in Transkei over the festive season.

However, they were ordered to stay "constantly" in contact with the investigating officer.

The five are out on bail of R10 000 each.

A senior official in the office of premier Beatrice Marshoff's office and adviser to two former provincial premiers, Ngombane was murdered at his Hillsboro home in Bloemfontein on March 22.

He was apparently shot by unknown gunmen in the driveway of his home when he went to find out why a vehicle had stopped outside. He died in hospital.

At his funeral, his wife said in a speech that the motive for the murder was political.

Police arrested Nokwanda and her relatives in July. In October, police exhumed Ngombane's body in an unsuccessful search for the murder weapon.

- SAPA