Bail for trio charged with murdering youth league's Sindiso Magaqa

Three men accused of murdering  former ANC Youth League secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa have been granted bail of R5,000.

Mbulelo Mpofana, Sibonelo Myeza and Mxolisi Ncalane appeared in the Ixopo magistrate's court on Tuesday, after their bail application on new facts.

The trio, together with their co-accused Sibusiso Ncengwa, have been charged with killing Magaqa, who was shot during an ambush in July 2017. In September that year he succumbed to his injuries in a Durban hospital.

According to NPA spokesperson Natasha Kara, the trio's bail conditions include surrendering their passports to the investigating officer. They are also required to report bi-weekly to a police station in their area, not enter the area of uMzimkhulu for the duration of the court process and to not interfere with state witnesses.

In 2019 the court heard how Myeza, a former cop and now a maritime operational manager, Mpofana, a “tenderpreneur”, and Ncalane, also a former cop, allegedly planned the murder.

The trio allegedly hired two hitmen, who were initially instructed to carry out the hit on July 12, the day before Magaqa was actually gunned down.

“The matter returns to court on July 18. The state is considering an appeal of the ruling which led to the accused being released on bail,” Kara said in a statement.

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