Noby-killing evidence in camera

2008-05-14 07:19

Bloemfontein - A judicial inquiry into the murder of senior Free State official Noby Ngombane heard in camera on Tuesday who his "political enemies" were.

The inquiry went into a closed session to hear testimony by his wife, Nokwanda, who earlier testified that he was allegedly killed by his political enemies.

Ngombane, a senior official in Premier Beatrice Marshoff's office and adviser to two former premiers, was shot at his Hillsboro home in Bloemfontein on March 22 2005.

He died later the same night in hospital.

Nokwanda, her brother and sister, Bongani and Thandiswa, and two cousins, Vuyokazi Mlambo and Sephumle Booi, were arrested soon afterwards and faced charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice, separately and jointly.

They were all at the house, watching a DVD, on the night of the murder.

Evidence heard in camera

All charges against them were withdrawn in Bloemfontein High Court in September 2006.

The inquiry agreed to go "in camera" to hear evidence after Nokwanda was cross-examined by State advocate Jannie Botha about whom she thought Noby's enemies were.

She said she was not prepared to answer the question in public as she was scared.

She said she had two children to look after and she "knew the politics" in the Free State.

The inquiry found that she could give evidence in camera and ruled that no information, of the in-camera discussion, could be published.

Just before the inquiry adjourned on Tuesday afternoon, Nokwanda's legal counsel, Willem Edeling, filed another application for another closed session.

Edeling said the witness did not want to be identified and that the session must be in camera.

Regional magistrate Dawn Soomaroo allowed the application and ordered that the person could not be identified, and nothing of the intended testimony should be published.

Nokwanda's sister, Thandiswa, and cousin Sephumle also testified on Tuesday on what they experienced during the night of the murder.

The inquiry continues.

- SAPA