MIDDELBURG – Steve Tshwete striking employees shooter, Nqubeko Mchunu, has been found guilty of murder and attempted murder.
The Middelburg division of the Mpumalanga High Court on Friday, March 14, found Mchunu—employed as a security guard at the time—guilty on all four counts he was facing, including murder and three counts of attempted murder.
Maseko died at the scene, while three others, Harris Sithole, Bongani Thabang, and Oupa Vilakazi, were hospitalised with serious injuries after Mchunu shot at them during a labour wage strike. The incident took place at the municipal offices on August 17, 2022.
Medical reports, accepted as evidence, show that the bullet penetrated the spinal cord of one of the survivors and entered and exited the middle and lower back of another.
When delivering judgment, Acting Judge Johan Herman said that, having considered the nature of the injuries and the weapon used, there is nothing to indicate that Mchunu did not recognise that by shooting at the complainants, he could kill them. “Irrespective of that belief, he recklessly proceeded with his actions,” he said.
Video footage played in court showed that the victims, including the deceased, Maseko, had no weapons at the time of the confrontation that led to the shooting. Maseko is seen carrying a cellphone and recording the incident before the shooting.
The state dismissed Mchunu’s version that he acted in self-defence because his life was in danger. The court agreed with the state’s submission that Mchunu knew the consequences of his actions. “As a trained officer in riot control and firearms, he would easily have been in a position to control himself, as he would be aware and foresee the possibility of death by firing a gun at a group of people,” said the Acting Judge.
The court also found that Mchunu lied during cross-examination when he claimed he was attacked with stones, which he avoided, and that he fired five shots. “The ballistic evidence disproved that contention.”
Dipuo Maseko, the deceased’s mother, told Highveld Chronicle the judgment brought a sense of relief. “I am at peace now. It’s been very tough for us as a family, but this judgment, I think, will help in finding closure,” she said.
Sarel Vilakazi and Bongani Thabang, two of the victims, also shared their reactions after the judgment. “We are very much excited with this judgment. This actually confirms what we know, that he is guilty,” they said. “One thing that must still come out is who sent him to shoot us, because we carried no weapons—just fighting for a living wage?”
Mchunu now awaits the soon-to-be-announced sentencing to hear his fate, and he can appeal the judgment, which is within his rights now that he has been found guilty.
