5 November 2025
The trial of police officer Dumisani Ndzabela has been postponed in the Khayelitsha Magistrates Court. Photo: Sandiso Phaliso
The murder case involving police officer Dumisani Ndzabela, accused of shooting Khayelitsha resident Sesethu Sigonyela has been postponed until February next year.
Ndzabela is accused of shooting Sesethu dead on 1 March this year. According to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, Sesethu and his friends are alleged to have sworn at Ndzabela, who was off duty, and to have waved a gun at him.
Ndzabela then called other police officers to help him, allegedly took one of their guns and shot Sesethu.
Ndzabela was arrested after an IPID investigation. He was granted R3,000 bail on 11 August.
The case was postponed at the Khayelitsha Magistrates Court on Tuesday. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the case had been postponed as the legal representative of the accused was not available.
“The state requested a lengthy postponement so that all the outstanding investigations are finalised before the next court date. Still outstanding at this stage are ballistic reports and chain statements,” said Ntabazalila.
“I did not know that the case would drag this long,” Sesethu’s mother Vuyokazi Sigonyela told GroundUp. “But February will come and hopefully there will be no delays.”
Asked whether Ndzabela had been suspended or dismissed in the meantime, SAPS spokesperson Captain Frederick van Wyk said: “It is our policy to conduct a departmental investigation following any misconduct or criminal investigation against a member of SAPS. However this is an internal process between the employer and the employee and dealt with as such.”
The charge sheet, which GroundUp has seen, states that Ndzabela must live at an address in Beaufort West so that he does not interfere with the investigation. He lived on the same Khayelitsha street as the victim.