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'Hitmen' now VIP's bodyguards
09/05/2007 20:54 - (SA)
Durban - Two men, convicted for their roles in the assassination of the former United Democratic Movement leader Sifiso Nkabinde, have been hired to protect the Umgungunglovu district municipality's mayor, Bongi Sithole-Mlaba, the Witness newspaper reported on Wednesday. The Umgungunglovu municipality is a cluster of seven municipal councils, including Pietermaritzburg. Anil Jelal, 35, and Dennis Mbanjwa command the VIP unit that protects Sithole and on its front page the newspaper carried an undated picture of the two men immediately behind national agricultural minister Lulu Xingwana. Nkabinde's assassination in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands town of Richmond made headline news internationally. Both men sentenced Nkabinde was gunned down outside the Bridgeway supermarket in Richmond in January 1999 shortly after his election as United Democratic Movement provincial leader. Jelal was allegedly involved in several discussions with the conspirators before the murder and organised transport out of Richmond for the assassins after the killing. Jelal was convicted of being an accessory after the fact to murder and received a six-year sentence. Mbanjwa initially turned State witness, but was then charged after allegedly interfering with other witnesses. The Witness reported that he was out on parole. |
