The man who turned state witness in the trial of a group of men charged with shooting ten people at a drug post in Kariega, told the court on Wednesday, that the entire incident took just a few minutes.
Shane Arends was giving evidence against the six men accused of killing seven people, and wounding three others in the 2023 incident in Kwanobuhle.
On Tuesday, the charges were withdrawn against Arends in the Gqeberha Regional Court when the matter got underway.
Mzolisi Nyiki, Sinethemba Mahlahla, Unathi Debooi, Shafiek Jones, Lee Fortuin, and Rivaldo Baartman face numerous counts of murder, attempted murder as well as inciting a pattern of criminal gang activity, and performing an act aimed at bringing about, promoting or contributing towards a pattern of gang activity.
According to Arends, Nyiki arrived at the Hondekoppe gang’s alleged headquarters in Bethelsdorp in Gqeberha where he [Arends] had been drinking with Jones, Fortuin and Baartman and complained that his [Nyiki] drug post had been robbed.
The state accuses Nyiki, who allegedly operated a drug post in Kwanobuhle in Kariega, of issuing a verbal threat against a rival drug dealer, Thulani Matyu, who operated out of a place in Mdlele Street, also in Kwanobuhle.
This allegedly followed "recent conflict" between alleged drug runners working for the two men.
Arends said Nyiki then instructed them to go and shoot the rival drug dealer to “pass a message.”
When asked by state prosecutor Mark Driman why they did not hesitate to act on this instruction, Arends said; “We [Hondekoppe] supply Nyiki with drugs therefore, we needed to protect him so that he does not find another supplier.”
“Jones, Fortuin, Baartman and I then took loaded firearms and drove with Mahlahla and Debooi in Nyiki’s car to shoot at Matyu and his friends.”
Arends said Mahlahla and Debooi pointed out the drug post, and they walked to the house after being dropped off a distance away.
“As we approached the drug post, I stopped to tie my shoelaces while the others walked in, and I told them I would act as lookout at the gate while they pulled the trigger.”
Arends further said after the shooting, they fled the scene hastily and returned to Gqeberha to inform Nyiki, the alleged mastermind, that the job was finished.
“The drive back to Gqeberha was so tense, we just wanted to get away from Kariega,” he added.
When they finally arrived back at the headquarters in Gqeberha, the men ran inside, put their firearms away, and drank further until the next morning.
Meanwhile, Nyiki’s plea statement was read out in court by his attorney, Natie Heyns, and the matter postponed to 17 March for cross-examination of Arends.
Also Read: Kariega murder accused plead not guilty to multiple charges
