Paul Kirk
An unapologetic Russel Ngubo this week described his boss as a “cry-baby” for opening a case of assault against him, and announced he was withdrawing as an African National Congress candidate for the local government elections.
The notorious KwaZulu-Natal prison official was allegedly involved in a fist fight with his boss, KwaZulu-Natal prisons area manager Dumisani Makhaye, three weeks ago.
Ngubo is believed to have beaten Makhaye about the face after he failed to sign his study leave application forms. Ngubo is currently studying through a correspondence course and wanted to take study leave for an upcoming exam.
Speaking from his Pietermaritzburg office Ngubo said: “Makhaye is a cry-baby. To run a prison you need to be strong. You cannot run to the police every few minutes. People lose respect for you, the prisoners and the warders both begin to realise you are a weak man.
“Weak men cannot keep discipline. Besides, Makhaye hardly suffered at all. It was hardly assault. If I had attacked Makhaye do you think he would still be here? If all the stories about me are true I should have killed him.”
The alleged assault came a week after Ngubo was linked to the murder of a 15-year-old boy in a Pietermaritzburg hospital. The child was killed in a bungled assassination attempt that had supposedly targeted a key witness against Ngubo.
The witness, currently in the witness protection programme, told police he had information on Ngubo’s involvement in armed robberies.
Ngubo is being investigated by the Scorpions investigative unit for at least 12 killing sprees.
Many of his alleged crimes appear to have a political edge. None of the cases have succeeded against Ngubo as the witnesses have disappeared or been found dead.
Ngubo this week confirmed his withdrawal as an ANC candidate in Impendle. Instead of standing himself for the forthcoming local government elections, he will be helping his friend, local government candidate and fellow prison boss Thami Memela.
Ngubo says he pulled out after falling victim to what he believes is a smear campaign hatched by the Scorpions, the Inkatha Freedom Party and certain sections of the media.
Ngubo said: “I will rather help Mr Memela in his campaign. He is a capable leader and the community can put their trust in him.”
Police sources said this week that Memela belongs to one of Ngubo’s hit squads.
Police documents relating to investigations into Ngubo refer to Memela. One says: “They used the kraal of Thami Memela, a local ANC leader and member of [the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union] as their base in the Izinga area. Several IFP leaders have been attacked and killed, namely Zwelikude Mshengu and Mgudleni Madlala.”
Memela this week denied involvement in any such activities, but confirmed his close friendship with Ngubo.
The documents provide a prcis of the alleged murders Ngubo has been involved in while undertaking his unique style of campaigning as a local government candidate.
These include: l The murder of Induna Master Shelembe a crime that is registered at the Plesilaer police station as case number 270/07/95;
l The kidnapping and murder of IFP constituency chair Nash Ngubane Boston case 9/9/95;
l The murder of independent councillor Aamon Mshengu Plesilaer case 30/9/95;
l The murder of IFP Izinga branch chair Mgudleni Madlala Impendle case 11/12/95;
l The murder of IFP local government candidate Damasius Khumalo Plesilaer case 434/03/96; and
l The murder of Inkosi David Molefe Himeville case 6/10/95.
The documents also link Ngubo to a string of other killings including the drive-by shooting of two men suspected of having attended a rival political party meeting. In another crime Ngubo is suspected of murdering a construction worker and destroying a water scheme.
The scheme had been launched by his rival in the local government elections and police suspect the worker was killed to sabotage the delivery of the scheme.
Ngubo denied all the allegations, saying they were clearly all concocted by the IFP and by a certain policeman whom he suspected was assisting the Scorpions in a smear campaign.