VICTOR GAMEDZE PART II: MY NAME IS TATA NGUBANE, THIS IS HOW WE PLANNED AND KILLED VICTOR
My name is Simphiwe Tata Ngubane. I am a South African citizen residing in Soweto and a friend of Mbuso Ncaza Nkosi.
Sometime in January 2018, I received a call from my friend Ncaza who told me there was work in eSwatini.
I enquired from Ncaza what form of work and he replied that it relates to a gentleman who always goes around carrying millions in his bag. Ncaza explained that he had heard about this work from Faruk, a South African gangster leader from Alvarado Park.
It was Faruk who had told us that he knew Sipho Shongwe from the time they spent together in prison for a heist which took place in Bronkospruit. Ncaza asked me to pick him up at Dube so we could meet the guy who was giving them the job.
I drove to Dube to fetch Ncaza and we both went to Faruk's place at Eldorado Park. The place is like a lodge. Upon arrival at Eldorado Park, we found no one at the parking lot so we waited.
I sat in the car and played music while Ncaza waited behind the car. After a few minutes, Ncaza called him (Shongwe) and when he looked behind there was a silver- grey Amarok motor vehicle.
Two men alighted from the car and the four of us then proceeded into the house where we sat down on chairs. We greeted each other and Sipho introduced himself followed by Sandile “Dzodzo” Zikalala who identified himself as Charley at the time.
The late ALdarado Park gangster boss Farouk Meyer.
At that time Sipho did not tell us his surname though. The two gentlemen said they were from Swaziland. Sipho told us that there was a man they worked with in Swaziland who was now taking all the business by himself through corrupt means because he had money.
He told us we needed to rob him of his money which is always in the boot of his car. I asked what cars and guns were we going to use and Dzodzo assured us that everything had been prepared.
I must hasten to add that Dzodzo indicated that the matter was urgent and as such we decided that myself and Ncaza should urgently find a stolen car. At that juncture, Sipho, Dzodzo and Ncaza got into the Amarok and were together for about 15 minutes.
Later Ncaza alighted from the Amarok carrying a plastic bag full of money to secure the stolen car. The money was all in twenty-rand notes. We then drove to Orlando to meet the gentleman who was going to get us the stolen car.
The gentleman said the car would cost us R7 000. After negotiations, we settled at R6,000.00. The stolen car, a silver grey Toyota Yaris, was taken out of the garage and jumpstarted since it did not have an ignition key.
Ncaza then drove us back to Faruk's place at Eldorado Park and we separated for the day and arranged to meet the following day. At the time there was no money remuneration discussed with Sipho, Dzodzo, Ncaza and myself.
The following day Ncaza came to fetch me at around 1200 noon to 1300 hours driving the Yaris. We drove to Sandton to pick Dzodzo. Once we found Dzodzo we began the journey to Swaziland via a brief sojourn at The Sun Hotel in Middelburg.
In the morning we drove to a place where Dzodzo met a friend who was driving a Ford Ranger. Dzodzo and this man had a long conversation while we waited in the hotel.
Dzodzo and this Ford driving man came back to our hotel in Middelburg and informed us that everything that was being prepared at the border for us to pass illegally was sorted. We got into the Yaris and drove to Carolina where we tinted the car windows dark and then off to Swaziland we went.
When we were about about 3 to 4 kilometres away from the border Dzodzo started giving instructions to Ncaza on how he was to enter the Oshoek Border as well as onto the Swazi Border.
Dzodzo told Ncaza that when he enters the South African side, he must drive on the left lane and park next to the toilets, get out of the car and get into the toilet then look on his left side where there is a dust bin.
Underneath that dustbin, Ncandza was meant to find a gate pass that would enable him to depart South Africa and enter eSwatini. All this had been arranged with the South African Police Official who knew about this Yaris Ncaza was driving.
Just as we were about to reach the border Dzodzo called someone on his phone and a man who was limping approached and assisted us in unlawfully jumping the fence and entering eSwatini.
After some time the three of them i.e., Dzodzo, Ncaza, myself and the limping man were now together on the Swazi side after Ncaza had also driven the Yaris through into Eswatini and parked at the Shopping Complex near the Filling Station.
Dzodzo then left us to meet a “groot man” (big man). Later he came back with money and paid the limping man. After the limping man had been paid and gone, we got into the Yaris and drove towards Mbabane.
Fugitive Sandile Dzodzo Zikalala
But before we could drive far Dzodzo received a phone call instructing him to turn back and park at a certain spot. Shortly afterwards a Mercedes Benz C Class with no number plate at the front arrived and parked at a distance.
I quickly realized it was Sipho driving that car. Dzodzo alighted from our car and went to Sipho who handed him a plastic bag. We then drove to Mbabane to a Guest House. We arrived at the Guest House and knocked in vain but no one opened.
We opted to sleep in the car but Dzodzo slept in the veranda. In the morning the lady opened and booked us into a room. It was only in the morning that I discovered what was in the plastic bag that Sipho had given to Dzodzo at the border the previous day: it was two firearms, one of them being a South African "state issue CZ88 firearm" and the other looked like a Glock but was very small.
Dzodzo then left with Ncaza leaving me behind. Dzodzo and Ncaza came back with food and I asked them when was the job going to be done but they never told me much. The following day we were seated and relaxing after the job.
Dzodzo received a call telling him of the escape route we were going to use. We then drove away from Mbabane a bit and then stopped and parked at a place next to a tavern or pub. There, there was a green VW Polo with Swazi registration numbers.
We parked about 8 to 10 metres from the Polo and Dzodzo jumped inside and stayed for some time before coming out with E1000 which he gave to Ncaza claiming it was from his "uncle".
After handing over the money to Ncaza Dzodzo drove away with the polo leaving us behind. Myself and Ncaza then drove to Solanis where we had food and also met two ladies to whom we proposed love and exchanged numbers. After that, we then went back to the Guest House. Dzodzo later came back and joined us at the guest house.
However, since it was Friday Dzodzo and Ncaza went out leaving me behind and it was at that time that four neatly dressed men arrived and greeted me and said the job must be done tomorrow. I was surprised and when Dzodzo and Ncaza came back I informed them about the four men and again I received no response from them.
We all retired to bed and on the following day, a Saturday, we went to Pep stores to buy clothes to change as we did not know how long we were going to be in Swaziland. I again enquired about when is the job going to be done.
Dzodzo then took us to Cuddle Puddle where I was told Victor usually does body massage. However, we didn't find Victor at Cuddle Puddle. The three of us, Dzodzo, myself and Ncaza then went to Ezulwini Spar where we bought food.
From Ezulwini we drove to Mbabane to a huge building written Swazi Mobile and parked outside. Dzodzo said this is where we could find the gentleman we were looking for.
Sipho Shongwe, the eventual convicted suspect in the murder of Gamedze
However, we did not find him which is when we decided to go to Prince of Wales stadium near Mbabane but still could not find him. We then went to the bus rank to collect a red VW Polo GTI Registration No. CH 86 HD GP which we were going to use for the job.
The following day, the 14th of February 2018, whilst we were seated outside the room Dzodzo received a call and thereafter told us that the target had been seen and might be carrying all the money because he was going to the sports ground where his team was going to play that day.
We quickly dressed and drove to the stadium via the Cuddle Puddle route passing the Casino on the left and complex on the right until we reached Somhlolo stadium. We bought the tickets and entered the stadium and they started searching for the target.
We looked around and couldn’t find Victor until Dzodzo suggested that together with Ncaza go to the grandstand where VIP's sat. It was there that they found him seated and watching the game. During half-time I also had an opportunity to see him.
He was wearing a La Coste white cap a mustered striped T-shirt and jean trousers. After that, Dzodzo suggested they go out of the stadium to Jimmy's bar where we had drinks while Dzodzo smoked dagga while watching Manchester on TV.
Ncaza had remained behind in the stadium. After the Manchester game Dzodzo suggested we return to the stadium and upon arrival Ncaza came running and told us that Victor had driven out of the stadium using a Toyota double cab Hilux.
With Dzodzo driving the red Polo GTI we followed Victor until he reached the garage. Dzodzo drove past the garage for a short distance and stopped. We saw a gentleman alight from the Toyota Hilux and go into the garage shop. Since we had stopped I jumped out of the car and went to a nearby bus stop to relieve myself.
In my head, I believed we were waiting for the Toyota Hilux double cab to drive away from the garage and then continue following it until at a convenient spot where we could block and rob the target of the money. Both Dzodzo and Ncaza each had a firearm.
Ncaza was going to use the firearm during the robbery to shoot Victor in case he resisted the robbery. It was whilst I was relieving myself that I heard two gunshots and then saw Ncaza come out running, opened the door, jumped in and drive off at high speed.
I was left behind. I then went towards the garage and stopped by the road and could see the deceased lying down in a pool of blood and people were saying he had been killed by Wanderers fans.
I learnt of his name for the first time when I heard people calling him by his name. To be honest I was shocked that the deceased was killed because the aim was to take the money from him and not to kill him. In my state of shock, confusion and stranded I then boarded a taxi to Mbabane and went to the Guest House on foot.
Just as I was about to reach my destination, there came a black Honda Fit stopped next to me and inside were Dzodzo and Ncaza. They said I must get in but I told them there was no need since we were already near the Guest House.
As soon as we entered the room we started packing and that is when I asked Ncaza why he shot the deceased because we came to eSwatini for money. He told me he was going to explain everything later.
Dzodzo was there but never said a thing. I kept quiet because at that point all I wanted to do was to leave. we got out of the room and boarded the Yaris. No one wanted to drive so I volunteered. Dzodzo directed me to the escape route.
I drove as directed for a long time until we reached a point where Dzodzo directed me to stop the vehicle. We abandoned the car but not before tampering with the licence disk by pouring the dry lemon drink.
We then went out on foot and walked for a long time until I developed severe pain that needed me to rest since I had a bullet in my spine. We rested under a tree until I felt better and started walking again. However, Ncaza told us he had lost his phone where we had rested.
The late businessman Victor Gamedze
Dzodzo and Ncanza went back to look for it while I continued walking believing once done they would catch up with me. But that never happened.
After walking all night it began to dawn and I recognized a woman and approached her and asked for directions to Mbabane and went to the Guest House and asked the lady called Futhi to lend me her phone to call my wife and ask for Rl,000.00.
She later helped me get a taxi which took me to town to withdraw the money and then off to Ngwenya where I crossed over illegally to South Africa.
It was while in Johannesburg that I met Ncaza who gave me RlO 000.00 to assist me in getting a lawyer because of the trouble he had caused me. Ncanza claimed to have gotten the money from Faruk.
A few days after the murder of Victor Gamedze, I left home to drive to Inadale and when I was at Protea I was stopped by police at a roadblock.
I thought it was a routine police activity only for them to come out with guns to arrest me for the murder of Victor Gamedze in Swaziland. I was taken to a police station in the South of Johannesburg where I was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm that had been found in my possession.
I was told I was to wait for extradition to eSwatini.