Former Durban Central detective Bhekukwazi Mdweshu, said by the State to be the leader of a murderous gang based at Umlazi’s Glebelands Hostel, was finally sentenced in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Thursday – three years and six months after the trial of the so-called Glebelands 8 began. 

The now 40-year-old Mdweshu, a father of twin girls, was convicted last year of conspiracy to commit murder and for the attempted murder of rival gang members Bongani Mthembu, William Mthembu (the leader of the rival gang, who was killed outside a supermarket a year later by the other accused), Mandlakayise Dyanthi and Lucas Mbekelwa in an attack at the notorious R Block of the hostel complex in 2014.

The Glebelands Hostel in Umlazi. (Photo: Gallo Images / City Press / Siyanda Mayeza)

Judge Nkosinathi Chili sentenced Mdweshu to 10 years in jail for the conspiracy conviction, and 10 years for the attempted murders, half of which was suspended for five years. The sentences are to run concurrently, meaning he will be eligible for release within five years.

Read more in Daily Maverick: “Defence counsels grill witnesses as first session of Glebelands 8 trial closes”

All the Glebelands 8 had at one time been residents at the hostel, with Mdweshu having two separate rooms at the sprawling ANC-controlled complex, which is estimated to house between 15,000 and 22,000 people. 

Extortion money

The men have been in prison since their arrests in 2017 and early 2018, bail having been denied. According to the State, the gang that Mdweshu led would battle a rival gang for money extorted from residents. Mdweshu “played a leading role” in the extortion of residents, the State contended in its indictment.

All the men were charged with – but acquitted of – racketeering last year, a crime usually associated with an organised crime syndicate. The State unsuccessfully argued that this made all jointly responsible for the seven attempted murders and nine murders in or near the hostel, committed between 2014 and 2016.

Mdweshu was further cleared of managing the criminal enterprise as well as charges of extortion.

The men had been in custody awaiting trial for more than five years, said NPA spokesperson Natasha Kara. Thus, when it came to the attempted murder charges, a sentence of 10 years was imposed, with five years being suspended for five years.

The trial ran over more than 70 court days.

Mdweshu’s cousin, the pint-sized Ncomekile Ntshangase, accused number five – who was previously a maintenance technician at Prasa earning R18,000 per month – was sentenced to 10 years, five suspended, for the attempted murder of the same rival gang members.

Mdweshu and Ntshangase were represented by advocate Martin Krog for the duration of the trial, with the remainder of the men being represented by two separate legal aid lawyers.

The trial stalled on several occasions as the cousins battled to raise funds to pay Krog, but the pandemic also led to substantial delays. Both men, however, were represented by one of Durban’s leading – and most expensive – criminal lawyers, advocate Jimmy Howse, at their bail hearings in March 2018.

Life sentences

Of the other accused, Khayelihle Mbuthuma was sentenced to life imprisonment, having been convicted on three counts of murder.

In 2018, Mbuthuma was found guilty of the murder of Glebelands hostel grandmother, Sbongile Mtshali. In 2017, she was shot in the head in front of her granddaughter and a neighbour at the hostel. Although he was not the triggerman, Mbuthuma was successfully convicted on common purpose by veteran State prosecutor Dorian Paver, who then went on to prosecute the Glebelands 8 trial.

Vukani Mcobothi was also handed a life sentence by Judge Chili on Thursday, having been convicted on three counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. 

Eugene Hlophe, the brother of deceased Glebelands hitman and gang leader Bonga Hlophe, was sentenced to five years in prison on four counts of attempted murder. Hlophe had been represented by legal aid advocate Di Franklin, who had sought to appeal after sentencing took place, but was denied by Judge Chili. 

Legal aid attorney Xolani Sindane had acted for the remainder of the accused. 

Visit Daily Maverick’s home page for more news, analysis and investigations

Mbuyiselwa Mkhize was convicted on two counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Mondli Talente Mthethwa was also handed a life sentence, having been convicted on two counts of murder, two of attempted murder and possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition.

Bongani Mbele was also handed a life sentence, having been convicted on two counts of murder. 

‘A law unto themselves’

Judge Chili said during sentencing that Mbuthuma, Mcobothi, Mkhize, Mthethwa and Mbele had been “a law unto themselves” and had “executed their opponents brazenly, without fear of reprisal, daring whoever dared to report them to the authorities”.

The trial started in 2019, with the State revealing at the outset that three potential witnesses to some of the killings had already been murdered and that Paver had to be allocated protection after receiving death threats. 

It became clear at the outset of the trial that if there was only one charge that would stick as far as Mdweshu was concerned, it would be the Block R shootout. The attack took place at a garage near that block on the night of 19 August 2014. It was in this area, the State said, that Mdweshu, brandishing an illegally purchased R5 rifle, was injured by retaliatory fire from William Mthembu and consequently left a blood sample that was matched via DNA.

Read more in Daily Maverick: “My client was shot in the hip, defence for cop concedes”

‘Beautiful’ assault rifle

The court heard that Mdweshu bought the R5 from a police colleague. Various witnesses said that Mdweshu was known to carry the “big gun” and fire it into the air at the hostel to intimidate residents into handing over “collections” – essentially protection money. It was this money that the gangs would fight over. One witness described how Mdweshu would cradle the assault rifle while calling it “beautiful”. 

The trial was a complex affair, with several of the witnesses clearly involved in some of the crimes the eight had been charged with, or involved in other criminal activities at the hostel, or they were related to some of the accused. 

Mdweshu was allegedly not the only dirty cop involved in the crimes at the hostel. The court heard testimony from witnesses who said they were only willing to make statements years after the attempted murders and murders because of their mistrust of officers at the Umlazi police station. This changed only when Colonel Bhekumuzi Sikhakhane and his team took over the case and managed to resuscitate investigations. 

Read more in Daily Maverick: “Murder accused cop used police database to plan assassination, court hears” 

A 2017 public protector report found that between 1 May 2014 and 18 January 2016, 32 murders and 47 attempted murders had taken place at the hostel. It was this report that spurred Sikhakhane’s superior to hand him and his small team the case.

Mbuthuma said during his trial for the murder of the Glebelands grandmother that he knew of 180 murders linked to the hostel. DM