Publication: Sunday World Issued: Date: 2010-02-28 Reporter: Mzilikazi wa Afrika Reporter: Charles Molele

I killed Mohlala’ - ‘Hired hitman fingers top politician and soccer boss

 

Publication 

Sunday World

Date 2010-02-28
Reporter Mzilikazi wa Afrika, Charles Molele
Web Link www.sundayworld.co.za

 



Assassinated: Former Mbombela speaker and whistle blower Jimmy Mohlala
Picture by Russell Roberts 



Killed: Spokesperson Sammy Mphatlanyane
Picture Andrew Hlongwane 





Silent: Mpumalanga premier David Mabuza
Picture by Andrew Hlongwane  




Killed: Former defence secretary January Masilela
Picture by Raymond Preston 


‘Our investigation has fingered Josh as responsible for Masilela’s death’

The Mozambican gangster who claims to have been hired by top Mpumalanga government officials to eliminate opponents has now been
linked to the death of former SA National Defence Force secretary January “Che” Masilela *1.

The police believe the thug, known in the criminal underworld as Josh, is also responsible for the unsolved murder of Morris Mothibi, a well-known Joburg drug lord, in 2006.

Masilela, a high-flying ANC cadre from Mpumalanga, died on the N4 highway near Bronkhortspruit at about 5.20am on August 25 2008 after his BMW X5 overturned and burst into flames. *2

Police sources told Sunday World this week that Josh seems to have been hired to kill Masilela and that his murder was made to look like a car accident.

“The information in our possession is that Masilela’s accident was a hit,” says a police source. “Our investigation has fingered Josh, also known as Joseph Khoza and Orlando Maziya, as responsible for his death.”

At the time of his death senior ANC members in Mpumalanga were lobbying with the party’s deployment committee at Luthuli House for Masilela to replace Thabang Makwetla as premier when his term ended in May 2009.

The current Mpumalanga premier is David Mabuza, who was elected provincial chairman at the party’s provincial conference in August 2008.

Sunday World can today reveal that Josh has also made sensational claims in an affidavit against at least one senior ANC politician and a top soccer boss regarding the death of former Mbombela speaker Jimmy Mohlala, who blew the whistle on irregularities in the tenders to build the R2bn Fifa 2010 World Cup stadium in Nelspruit.

The police want him to make a confession before a magistrate .

Arrangements are being made for his safety when he makes the confession and for his placement in the witness protection programme.

He will then testify against the senior ANC politician, two Mpumalanga businessmen and a prominent soccer boss.

The Mozambican claims he was hired by the Mpumalanga government officials and the soccer boss as a “cleaner” from 2000 until 2009 to eliminate the four men’s political and business opponents.

His work included smuggling drugs, moving cash, burying dead people and murdering opponents, some by poisoning.

He alleges that he planted drugs in councillor Isiah Khoza’s house, poisoned ANC Youth League provincial leader James Nkambule, tried to kill former mayor of the Gert Sibande district council Andries Gamede and Standing Committee on Public Accounts chairman Fish Mahlalela and Mbombela mayor Lassy Chiwayo.

He further alleges that Govan Mbeki chief financial officer Joshua Ntshuhle’s car was driven to Malawi to make it look like he vanished while driving to Malawi.

Ntshuhle vanished in December 2005, days before he was scheduled to testify in the fraud and corruption trial of the municipality’s marketing manager Sibusiso Sigudla.

His body is believed to be buried on a farm outside Nelspruit, along with two others.

“I buried these bodies at the farm,” claims Josh.

The Mozambican gangster also claims he and three Zimbabwean nationals and a fellow Mozambican were hired to assassinate Mohlala.

They were offered R40000 each for the hit, which they dubbed “Mbombela Cleanup Operation”.

“After following Mr Mohlala’s movements, we splited (sic) into two groups,” claims Josh in the affidavit.

“One group of three was stationed at one of his two houses and the other group, myself and (name withheld) was stationed at the other house.

“We followed Mr Mohlala into the house and I shot him twice or thrice. He was with a child who was shot by (name withheld) while I had to make sure that Mr Mohlala was dead. This was January 2009.

“I called (name withheld) and told him the job was done. (Name withheld) sounded very happy on hearing this news.”

“He told me the rest of our money will be paid sooner (sic). He also told me to “shake” Mr Chiwayo with threats on his phone. I threatened Mr Chiwayo on his phone at least five times.”

Chiwayo confirms he got threatening phone calls shortly after Mohlala was killed from “a very aggressive person”.

He says: “I was told that I will go back home to Witbank in a coffin.”

Nkambule made a statement to senior Barberton Police’s Superintendent Harry Shabangu about his alleged poisoning.

Josh confirmed to have poisoned me with a substance *3 that activated an otherwise benign cancer in me which is now killing me softly,” he says in his statement.

Four of the hitmen who carried out the hit on Mohlala have since been killed to destroy evidence.

The Mozambican national claims he fears for his life but is willing to co-operate with the South African police if placed in a witness protection programme in order to testify against the Mpumalanga government officials and the soccer boss .

On Friday Mpumalanga police spokesman Superintendent Sibongile Nkosi con- firmed that they had received the affidavit from Josh.

“We can confirm that the police have obtained an affidavit and that our members are still investigating allegations made in it,” he said.

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With acknowledgements to Mzilikazi wa Afrika, Charles Molele and Sunday World.



*1       It has always been my theory that Masilela was taken out. He knew too much that was going on in DoD procurement. Indeed he was probably involved himself in some manner.


*2      Car accidents have always been an ANC speciality.

There've been quite a number of them.


*3      Bheki Jacobs also died of liver cancer after having been unlawfully arrested and incarcerated.

I have always maintained that Bheki's death is highly suspicious.


Last, but not least, is the death of Richard Charter.

Charter and his company Osprey Aviation received millions of Rands of overt commissions from British Aerospace in the Hawk and Gripen deal.

Meanwhile others among us received tens to hundreds of millions of Rands covert commissions from British Aerospace in the Hawk and Gripen deal.

Charter knew about this and would have been the ideal witness in the corruption trial.

Not only did he know about what wonga went where, but he would have been a great witness because he also received covert commissions from British Aerospace and would have testified under great testicular pressure. Otherwise, like Schabir Shaik,  he would also have been sentenced to 15 years in the slammer, that is if the NPA did its constitutionally mandated job properly. But the NPA not having got him first, poor rich Richard suffered another fate.

But hope springs eternal.