Mpumalanga family in court for alleged plot of patriarch’s murder

A family from Mpumalanga is due to appear in court for allegedly plotting the ruthless murder of Jabulani Isaac Nkosi, a renowned businessman from Balfour.

Who killed Jabulani Isaac Nkosi?

Nkosi, aged 58, was the owner of a respected funeral parlour. According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi, his life came to a tragic end on Sunday 19 January 2020 when a number of armed suspects entered his home in Balfour and shot him at point-blank range.

At first, investigators ran with the idea that this may have been a robbery gone horribly wrong. After all, Nkosi was a successful businessman.

However, according to the Mpumalanga police, eyebrows were raised when it was discovered that eight days before he was killed, Nkosi was a victim of a similar attack in his home.

“This particular incident occurred on 8 January 2020, at about 23:15, whereby two suspects found him in the house, started to fight him, however, Nkosi fought back and in the process, he was shot. On the first shooting incident, the businessman was rushed to the nearby hospital where he received medical treatment. Nkosi was discharged from hospital on Thursday 16 January 2020,” Brig Hlathi revealed.

Mpumalanga family accused of murdering patriarch

The investigation soon turned to Nkosi’s immediate family members, who were responsible for looking after him when he was discharged from hospital.

Moreover, the fact that there were no signs of forced entry into the residence told homicide detectives that whoever killed the 58-year-old, was either known to the residents or had keys to enter the house without raising alarm.

Also, the fact that Mpumalanga police and paramedics were alerted by neighbours, and not members of the family, led investigators to believe that Nkosi’s immediate relatives may have had something to do with his death.

“The determined police worked tirelessly where they connected all the dots and managed to make a breakthrough in their probe which led to the arrest of [seven] suspects,” Hlathi stated.

The suspects who were pinned with the murder, as well as the attempted murder, of Nkosi include:

• His wife, 41-year-old Busi Mitta;
• His mother-in-law, 64-year-old Maria Naniwe Nkabinde;
• 47-year-old Muntu Mashinini (relation unknown at this time);
• 44-year-old Sipho Dube (relation unknown at this time);
• 29-year-old Thokozani Radebe (relation unknown at this time);
• 29-year-old Zanele Malindisa (relation unknown at this time); and
• A 17-year-old girl.

All seven suspects are due to appear at the Balfour Magistrate’s Court on Monday to submit their bail applications.

Hlathi confirmed that the motive, which will be crucial for the state’s case against the suspects, is still unknown at this time.