News / National
The night Zimbabwean journalist was killed in South Africa
30 Jan 2019 at 13:46hrs | Views
A State witness has told the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg of the events that unfolded the night that journalist and fixer Godknows Nare was gunned down in Florida, west of Johannesburg.
Ishmael Macave, who stayed in the same block of flats as Nare, told the court that he confronted two suspicious-looking men, who later turned out to be Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officers.
He was standing on the balcony of his flat when he noticed a white Hyundai vehicle parked near the residential block. He saw three men getting out of the car.
It would later be revealed that the vehicle had been hijacked earlier that day in Roodepoort - less than 10 kilometres from Florida.
When the Hyundai arrived, Nare had not yet returned home.
Shortly after spotting the three men, Macave went downstairs to confront them.
At the time, the men were not wearing their uniforms and were standing next to two security guards.
"When I asked who the men were, a security guard with dreadlocks replied to me that the men were working," he said.
It is alleged that Nare was inside his Ford Fiesta outside a block of flats in Florida when he was gunned down. His vehicle was parked next to the hijacked Hyundai.
Nare was shot at several times while inside his vehicle and died on the scene. It is alleged that he did not pose any danger to the officers and that he was not armed.
Macave also testified that he had earlier seen Nare driving out in his Ford Fiesta and said he had seen a little girl next to him in the front passenger seat.
In addition, the court heard that the men approached Nkosana Nhlapo, the owner of a Hyundai dealership, and used a firearm to assault him.
Nhlanhla Vilakazi, Lincoln Muloyi and Thozamile Mhlanga - all JMPD constables - are on trial for Nare's murder after allegedly opening fire on him on April 17, 2017.
The three are each out on R5 000 bail and face charges of murder, assault and defeating the ends of justice.
They are also accused of staging a crime scene shortly after killing him, to cover up their tracks.
The accused were arrested after an Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) investigation.
Nare worked at various media outlets including eNCA, Special Assignment and BBC.
The trial continues on Thursday.
Ishmael Macave, who stayed in the same block of flats as Nare, told the court that he confronted two suspicious-looking men, who later turned out to be Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officers.
He was standing on the balcony of his flat when he noticed a white Hyundai vehicle parked near the residential block. He saw three men getting out of the car.
It would later be revealed that the vehicle had been hijacked earlier that day in Roodepoort - less than 10 kilometres from Florida.
When the Hyundai arrived, Nare had not yet returned home.
Shortly after spotting the three men, Macave went downstairs to confront them.
At the time, the men were not wearing their uniforms and were standing next to two security guards.
"When I asked who the men were, a security guard with dreadlocks replied to me that the men were working," he said.
It is alleged that Nare was inside his Ford Fiesta outside a block of flats in Florida when he was gunned down. His vehicle was parked next to the hijacked Hyundai.
Macave also testified that he had earlier seen Nare driving out in his Ford Fiesta and said he had seen a little girl next to him in the front passenger seat.
In addition, the court heard that the men approached Nkosana Nhlapo, the owner of a Hyundai dealership, and used a firearm to assault him.
Nhlanhla Vilakazi, Lincoln Muloyi and Thozamile Mhlanga - all JMPD constables - are on trial for Nare's murder after allegedly opening fire on him on April 17, 2017.
The three are each out on R5 000 bail and face charges of murder, assault and defeating the ends of justice.
They are also accused of staging a crime scene shortly after killing him, to cover up their tracks.
The accused were arrested after an Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) investigation.
Nare worked at various media outlets including eNCA, Special Assignment and BBC.
The trial continues on Thursday.
Source - news24
