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

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From right: Thabo Leshabane, Mbekezi Butheledzi, John Zulu, Sfiso Bhekinhlezo, and Emanuel Dlamini.   Photo by Joshua Sebola
From right: Thabo Leshabane, Mbekezi Butheledzi, John Zulu, Sfiso Bhekinhlezo, and Emanuel Dlamini. Photo by Joshua Sebola
  • 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.

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.

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