Share

Polokwane hit: Cellphone data links alleged hit men to murder scene of businesswoman

0:00
play article
Subscribers can listen to this article
  • Analysis of cellphone and itemised billing data places suspected hit men in the same motor vehicle that was seen at the murder scene of two people.
  • Makoena Mabusela-Leshabane and her colleague, Tebogo Mphuti, were killed after viewing a business property in Polokwane.
  • The scene was captured on CCTV footage which showed the faces of some of the alleged hit men.

Four suspected hit men allegedly hired by a man accused of ordering a hit on his wife and her colleague has been linked to the crime scene, the Polokwane Magistrate's Court heard on Tuesday.

The man, Thabo Stanley Leshabane, 57, is applying for bail, together with the four apparent hit men Ndondo Buthelezi, 25, John Zulu, 30, Bhekimuzi Phiyose, 34, and Thembelani Dlamini, 30.

The State, represented by Chantalle Stevens, is opposing bail.

In court on Tuesday, Stevens handed in an affidavit by Warrant Officer Jacob Musa Mwale who conducted an analysis of the downloaded cellphone data and itemised billing data of the four alleged hit men.

READ | Polokwane hit: Court hears husband accused of conspiring to kill wife confessed to the crime

In the affidavit, Mwale concluded the four could have been in the same vehicle that was seen at the murder scene.

"The findings regarding the analysis indicate that the accused in this case and the motor vehicle which was involved activated the same towers and the same location at the same time from Gauteng province towards Polokwane in Limpopo to the murder scene…

"… and from this I conclude that the users of the cellphones could have been in the same motor vehicle that was seen at the murder scene," Mwale said in the affidavit.

Stevens told magistrate Janine Ungerer that Mwale only highlighted important information in the affidavit and could not physically take the witness stand because his evidence could take several days and that the investigations into the whole case was ongoing.

Defence lawyers Whitey Moruleng and John Mohoto agreed the affidavit could be registered in the court records.

In earlier hearings, the court was told by investigating officer Warrant Officer Gerhardus Kotze that the four alleged hit men left Katlehong in Gauteng at about 03:00 on the day of the murder and arrived in Polokwane just after 07:00.

The vehicle stopped three times around Katlehong apparently to pick up the other three alleged hit men.

They used a vehicle belonging to one of them which is fitted with a tracker and registered as a metered taxi with Uber.

They had a puncture on their way back from Polokwane near Pienaarriver and one of them called Leshabane.

On 10 October this year, Leshabane's wife Makoena Mabusela-Leshabane, 46, and her colleague, Tebogo Mphuti, 35, were shot dead after viewing a business property in Polokwane.

The scene was also captured on CCTV footage which showed the faces of some of the alleged hit men.

The bail hearing will continue on Tuesday 22 December for submission of written arguments by both the State and defence.

Judgment is expected to be delivered on 28 December.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
68% - 1918 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
32% - 916 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.57
+0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.28
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
19.90
+0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.13
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+1.4%
Platinum
967.60
+0.6%
Palladium
958.50
+0.4%
Gold
2,319.47
0.0%
Silver
26.57
-0.2%
Brent-ruolie
83.44
-3.5%
Top 40
69,925
-0.7%
All Share
76,076
-0.5%
Resource 10
61,271
-4.5%
Industrial 25
105,022
+0.4%
Financial 15
16,591
+1.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE