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Residents of the Mason informal settlement in Copesville are still struggling to come to terms with a brutal killing that unfolded in broad daylight over the weekend, leaving an entire community traumatised.
On Tuesday, the man accused of the gruesome crime, Nkosinathi Majola, appeared before the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court facing a charge of murder. The courtroom was packed with community members and relatives of the deceased who came to witness the proceedings.
Majola, who previously spent 12 years behind bars for a murder conviction dating back to 2012, stood calmly in the dock as Magistrate Sandile Ngwenya formally read out the murder charge against him. He indicated that he understood the allegations and requested legal representation from Legal Aid.
At one point during the proceedings, Majola turned around and looked toward members of the victim’s family seated in the public gallery, a moment that reportedly left some relatives visibly shaken.
The charge stems from the shocking killing of Sanela Mbanjwa, which occurred shortly before noon on Sunday, just metres away from his family home.
According to community leader Mxolisi Nxumalo, tensions between the victim and a group of men in the settlement had already been brewing the night before. Mbanjwa was allegedly assaulted by several local men during an altercation on Saturday evening.
The following day, Mbanjwa reportedly spotted the same group gathered at a neighbour’s home where they were drinking with Majola. Nxumalo said the victim allegedly armed himself with a hammer, which he tried to conceal behind his back as he approached the group.
However, the hammer slipped and fell to the ground, alerting the men.
Majola allegedly left the scene briefly and went to his nearby house, returning moments later armed with a machete and a knife.
With children playing in the street and neighbours going about their day, the situation quickly turned deadly. Majola allegedly launched a violent attack on Mbanjwa, striking him repeatedly with the weapons.
The victim tried to run for his life but collapsed a short distance away, struggling to breathe, in front of Majola’s house.
Residents say the horrifying scene unfolded in full view of the community, with women screaming and begging the accused to stop the attack.
“It was something I would never wish on anyone,” Nxumalo said. “People were crying and pleading with him to stop, but he kept going. The law must take its course.”
Nxumalo further alleged that while Mbanjwa lay dying in the street, Majola even paused at times to wash the bloodied machete at a nearby tap before returning to continue the assault.
“We all stood there watching, helpless. Nobody could go near because he threatened anyone who tried to help. He stood next to the body until the police arrived. It felt unreal,” he said.
The incident was particularly traumatic for several children who witnessed the killing, including Majola’s 15-year-old son and two teenage nephews of the deceased.
A guardian of the boy who attended the court hearing said the children have been deeply affected by what they saw.
“They witnessed a murder with their own eyes. That kind of thing never leaves a child’s mind. Some of them are too scared to even go back to school,” she said.
She added that the family fears for their safety should Majola be granted bail, claiming that his presence in court made them uneasy.
“We hope the court denies him bail because the children are terrified. I am also afraid because he saw us sitting in court.”
Another resident, Zinhle Khumalo, said the community is united in its demand that the accused remain behind bars.
“As residents of Mason, we do not want him coming back here. The cruelty we witnessed was shocking, especially with his own son watching,” she said.
Khumalo also claimed that some residents felt intimidated by gestures Majola allegedly made toward people in the courtroom during the hearing.
“This man must not be released. He must face the full consequences of what he did,” she added. The case has been postponed to March 10 as investigations continue.
