Police have long suspected Russel Ngubo of involvement in a string of bloody murders in KwaZulu-Natal Paul Kirk
In less than two weeks Russel Ngubo, a top correctional services official in Pietermaritzburg, has severely assaulted his boss for not processing his leave forms in time and been implicated in the murder of a 15-year-old child.
The prison official whom Ngubo assaulted, Dumisani Makhaye, area manager for the Department of Correctional Services, this week lashed out and claimed Ngubo appears to be “completely above the law”.
Makhaye has opened a criminal case against Ngubo, who is being investigated for a slew of murders in KwaZulu-Natal.
Makhaye said: “We basically had a misunderstanding. Mr Ngubo came to my office while he was off-duty. He had some leave forms that were not signed and he was not happy at all. He attacked me without warning, hitting me about the face. I am okay, I am working now, but I am not happy. It now seems like Mr Ngubo can do anything he likes and get away with it.” The assault incident occurred only days before a child was killed in Edendale hospital in a contract killing that has been linked to Ngubo.
The child, Lindo Ndlela, died when a gunman stormed into his ward at the hospital and fired several shots into his bed.
The victim had the misfortune to be sleeping next to one of the witnesses against Ngubo. Police suspect the otherwise professional hit man killed the wrong patient. Earlier in the week of the murder the provincial Scorpions investigative unit under advocate Chris MacAdam received information that the man sleeping next to Ndlela had information linking Ngubo to at least one and possibly more armed robberies in the Pietermaritzburg area.
MacAdam has confirmed that the child’s killing was linked to an investigation into Ngubo being carried out by his office.
The intended victim has now due to the intervention of MacAdam’s office been placed under heavy guard in the witness protection programme. Ngubo is currently an African National Congress local government councillor for the Impendle area.
Documents in possession of the Mail & Guardian show that for nearly a decade detectives have suspected Ngubo of involvement in bloody murders of his political opponents and career rivals. He is also suspected of murdering witnesses against him.
In his colourful career, Ngubo has publicly threatened to murder the then minister of correctional services, Sipho Mzimela, and has nevertheless been promoted on a regular basis. His threat to murder Mzimela was made when the minister threatened to close down the Pietermaritzburg New prison where he was commander. A surprise inspection of the prison by Mzimela had found that the institution had sunk into an advanced state of decay after Ngubo took control.
A former close friend of Sifiso Nkabinde, Ngubo is alleged to have furthered his political career by selectively and systematically murdering the opposition.
One of the many police documents in possession of the M&G states: “Ngubo is definitely the brains behind the attacks on IFP [Inkatha Freedom Party] leaders in the Impendle area. A sworn statement has been obtained from a witness by the detectives to this effect.”
The documents list a string of murders linked to Ngubo one even carried out with Ngubo’s own licensed shotgun.
In another murder incident Ngubo’s hit squad is alleged to have set out to murder a group of his rivals. Arriving at a homestead in the dead of night they killed everyone in the home, then realised they had murdered the wrong people.
They returned the following night to massacre the correct family.
The National Intelligence Agency has been leading an investigation into Ngubo since at least May when the M&G exposed his involvement in a string of murders. However, no criminal action has yet been taken against him.
MacAdam says his probe into Ngubo is a massive undertaking that will take some time. MacAdam’s office began to investigate Ngubo more intensively recently as a result of a direction from the office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Bulelani Ngcuka.
Although MacAdam’s office has nearly two dozen dockets on Ngubo’s activities, they are severely hampered by a lack of witnesses.
Explaining why Ngubo still has his job, Philemon Ntuli a representative for the Department of Correctional Services told the M&G this was largely because witnesses against Ngubo kept disappearing.
“A man is innocent until proven guilty,” said Ntuli. “We can do nothing unless he is found guilty in a court.”
Ngubo was not at work this week to comment.