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'Deputy principal's alleged killers were paid R30,000 for the hit'

Edalinceba primary deputy principal Mswati Nyembe.
Edalinceba primary deputy principal Mswati Nyembe.
Image: Supplied

A self-confessed dagga dealer told the North Gauteng High Court yesterday that three men accused of killing a Duduza, Ekurhuleni, school deputy principal had confided in him about the murder.

Bheki Buthelezi – testifying at the trial of Doctor Gabriel Moagi, 46, Bongani Simangaliso Nkosi, 27, and Spemathi Diko, 24 – said the trio told him about killing Mswati Hubert Nyembe four hours after the murder.

Nyembe was attacked at Edalinceba primary school where he was deputy principal in September 2017.

Moagi, Nkosi and Diko face charges of murder and three counts of pointing a firearm.

Moagi further faces a charge of being in possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

“Doctor, Bongani and Mtetezi [Spemathi] approached me while I was selling marijuana in KwaThema on September 26 2017,” Buthelezi said.

He said Nkosi asked if he could borrow R450 from him with a promise to pay it back later that day.

“Bongani said they needed it because they wanted to go and “hit a head” [handle business],” he said.

Buthelezi said the trio returned four hours later with a wad of cash in their possession.

“I asked them where they got the money from. Bongani said they were hired to kill a teacher and [had] received R30,000. They had divided it equally among themselves.”

Buthelezi said the accused were happy as they drank alcohol in a tavern while relaying the story.

He said Nkosi told him they accessed the school after masquerading as electricians.

“Bongani told me that Doctor was the one who pulled the trigger.”

Buthelezi said he did not ask about the identity of the person who paid the money as he was also excited about free drinks.

He said he led police to the trio after he was arrested on charges of dealing in dagga three days after Nyembe’s murder.

“Police assaulted me after arresting and charged me with dealing in marijuana. They said since I am a popular guy because I sell weed, I might have heard about Nyembe’s murder and I said ‘yes’,” he said.

Judge Hennie de Vos rolled over the trial to Monday for further testimony.

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