Lusikisiki Massacre: Firearms Link Suspects to 2024 Murder of African National Congress Member

• The men accused of murdering 18 people in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, also face another murder charge
• The State has positively linked the men to another murder committed in the province in 2024
• The evidence in the case won’t be broadcast live to protect the witnesses who will testify in the matter

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

EASTERN CAPE – The men charged with the murders of 18 people in Lusikisiki could find themselves in hot water for another murder.

The men, who are appearing in the Lusikisiki Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape, have been linked with the murder of an African National Congress member in KwaBhaca in 2024. 58-year-old Mncedisi Gijana, an ANC Regional Executive Committee member in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality, was gunned down outside his home in August 2024.

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The Lusikisiki suspects have now been linked with that murder through the firearms used to commit the crime.

How were the suspects linked to the crime?

According to evidence presented in court, the State positively linked the firearms used to kill the 18 people in Lusikisiki to the firearms used to kill Gijana. The brother of the late politician was the State’s first witness on Thursday, 31 July 2025, and described how he found his brother in a pool of blood. He also spoke about how three balaclava-clad gunmen carrying rifles came to their home to look for his brother.

The matter was postponed after he broke down during testimony. The matter will resume at the Mthatha High Court Special Sitting in Lusikisiki Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 1 August.

Judge Richard Brooks has ruled that the evidence will not be broadcast live to protect the witnesses in the case. Some of the witnesses are survivors of the Lusikisiki massacre, where 18 people were shot dead while preparing for a traditional ceremony at Ngobozana village.

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The accused are facing a string of charges which include murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

What you need to know about the Lusikisiki massacre

• An 18th victim died following the mass shooting in Lusikisiki, which originally left 15 women and two men dead.
• Three murder suspects appeared in court for the mass murder, while police also arrested two other men.
• A mass funeral was held in October 2024 for 15 of the people killed in the Lusikisiki mass shooting.
• Two men appeared in court after being arrested in Flagstaff in possession of high-calibre guns linked to the Lusikisiki shootings.
• In February 2025, the Lusikisiki mass murder trial was postponed following the appearance of the eight suspects in court.

Alleged Lusikisiki mastermind maintains innocence

Briefly News reported that Mzukisi Ndamase pleaded not guilty to the 24 charges against him.

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Ndamase is the alleged mastermind behind the Lusikisiki massacre, which left 18 people dead in 2024.

South Africans shared mixed reactions online to Ndamase's claims of innocence, as well as to his alibi.

Source: Briefly News