AmaNtungwa chief Inkosi Siphamandla Khumalo.
- A 29-year-old suspect has been re-arrested from prison and charged in connection with the 2023 assassination of AmaNtungwa chief Inkosi Siphamandla Khumalo and his wife, Thuthukile, in KwaZulu-Natal.
- Police said ballistic evidence linked a firearm recovered during the suspect’s arrest for a separate double murder in Kagiso to the scene of the Khumalo killings.
- The couple were ambushed while travelling with their four-year-old son, who survived the attack unharmed despite being found covered in blood inside the vehicle.
A breakthrough in the assassination of KwaZulu-Natal traditional leader Inkosi Siphamandla Khumalo has led to a 29-year-old suspect being charged while already behind bars in Gauteng.
The suspect, who is in custody for a separate double murder case in Kagiso, was formally charged on Thursday in connection with the October 2023 ambush that killed the AmaNtungwa chief and his wife, Thuthukile Khumalo.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) made the breakthrough after forensic evidence linked the suspect to the murders.
“The suspect was arrested on a warrant … [that] was executed on him while in custody in Gauteng,” Netshiunda said.
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The incident occurred on the morning of 28 October 2023, when Inkosi Khumalo was travelling with his wife and their four-year-old son along the R34 road in Baltusspruit, Nhlazadolo, where they were ambushed. Two suspects allegedly pulled alongside their vehicle and opened fire.
The vehicle veered off the road and into a field, but the attackers allegedly pursued them, continuing to fire at close range to ensure the couple did not survive.
“Their four-year-old son was found inside the vehicle, covered in blood, but [he] was unharmed,” Netshiunda noted.
The case was subsequently handed over to the PKTT as part of a high-priority cluster of 121 dockets involving politically motivated assassinations in the province.
Evidence intensified when it was discovered that the suspect had been caught with high-calibre weaponry during his arrest for the Kagiso murders, which also claimed the life of a police officer.
Netshiunda added:
Ballistic analysis later linked one of the recovered firearms to the murder scene of Inkosi Khumalo and his wife, strengthening the case against him.
Police have stated that the suspect is allegedly linked to more murders in Richards Bay and other parts of South Africa, pointing toward a broader network of organised violence.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, praised the unit for the breakthrough.
“We welcome this arrest and commend the PKTT for their continued efforts in tackling the targeted killings of our traditional leaders,” Buthelezi said.
