Two men accused of murdering Bushbuckridge chief traffic officer Judas Chiloane have pleaded not guilty as their trial gets under way in the Mbombela High Court.
Charles Mbongiseni Mabuza, 36, and Saico Junior Ngoma, 46, remain in custody. The State is presenting its evidence-in-chief, and the trial is scheduled to continue until 13 November. Both men are presumed innocent.
What the State alleges
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said the State alleges that Chiloane, 60, was killed on 11 March 2023 during a robbery on Kranskop Road in White River, Mpumalanga.
The State alleges the men approached a parked vehicle in which Chiloane was sitting with another person, who survived. It alleges they demanded money and then his service firearm, shot him and fled with a cellphone, money, a laptop and the firearm. He was declared dead at the scene. These are allegations that the court has yet to test.
The charges and next steps
Both men face charges of:
- conspiracy to commit robbery and murder;
- robbery with aggravating circumstances;
- murder;
- possession of a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to commit a crime;
- possession of a prohibited firearm; and
- unlawful possession of ammunition.
They pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial is scheduled to continue until 13 November.
