A Pietermaritzburg man who is now dead offered R10 000 for the life of a police officer who bore a grudge against him, the high court in the KwaZulu-Natal capital heard on Monday.
The allegation appeared in the indictment during the first day of the trial of Nkosinathi Mbhele (27), who has pleaded not guilty to murdering Inspector Noel Landsberg.
The police officer, who was with the organised crime unit, was shot in the driveway of his home on May 25 2004.
Mbhele, whose trial started on Monday, told the court that he had not been near Landsberg’s home at the time.
The state has alleged that the late Kevin Johnson and Mbhele planned that Landsberg would be shot at his home and for this Mbhele staked out the police officer’s house to study his routine.
It is further alleged that Johnson gave Mbhele a .38 revolver to shoot Landsberg and that he went to near Landsberg’s home and hid. When Landsberg came out of his house he accosted him and shot him, firing four or six shots, according to the indictment.
Landsberg died of heart and lung wounds in the street in front of his house.
His widow, Evadine, testified on Monday that she and her two sons had sat down to supper when they heard shots ring out. ”I saw Noel [Landsberg] lying in the road. I ran to him and saw that he was bleeding from the mouth. I tried to resuscitate him and our family doctor arrived, looked at Noel and said he was dead.”
The case continues. — Sapa