A popular traditional healer from KwaMashu has been arrested by the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) for allegedly masterminding the 2020 murders of African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) member Thamsanqa Kingdom Gcabashe and eThekwini Metro Police officers Lindokuhle Madonsela and Ndumiso Thusi.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed on Friday that the suspect was arrested following what investigators described as an extensive six-year investigation into the killings that shocked KwaZulu-Natal.
The suspect is expected to make his first appearance in the Hammarsdale Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 27 July 2026.
According to SAPS, investigators believe the traditional healer orchestrated the killings after allegedly suspecting that Metro Police officer Madonsela was involved in an intimate relationship with his wife.
Police said the first murder took place on 26 May 2020 when Gcabashe was gunned down outside his home in Section G, Mpumalanga Township, south of Durban.
Investigators later established that Gcabashe was allegedly not the intended target. Instead, the hitmen are believed to have mistaken him for Madonsela.
Just two weeks later, on 9 June 2020, the alleged plot was carried out against its intended target.
Madonsela and fellow Metro Police officer Ndumiso Thusi were ambushed while reporting for duty. Police said Officer Thusi had arrived to collect Madonsela when armed suspects opened fire on their vehicle, killing both officers at the scene.
SAPS said the Political Killings Task Team uncovered evidence indicating that after the mistaken killing of Gcabashe, the suspects regrouped before locating and fatally shooting Madonsela. Thusi was killed during the attack.
To date, six people have now been charged in connection with the murders.
The five previously arrested accused are Fana Shabalala, Zamokuhle Nyandu, Mthokozisi Ntando Blose, Holy Shozi and Sandile Msezane. They face charges including murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Investigators allege the accused were recruited and paid to carry out the assassinations.
Police also revealed that ballistic evidence played a crucial role in the investigation. Forensic analysis linked the firearms used at both murder scenes, providing investigators with critical evidence connecting the killings.
The case against the five accused has since been postponed for pre-trial proceedings in the Durban High Court.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe described the latest arrest as a significant breakthrough in a case that has remained under investigation for several years.
“The arrest of the alleged mastermind demonstrates the determination of the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team to ensure that not only those who pull the trigger, but also those who plan, finance and commission murders are brought before the courts. No one is above the law, regardless of their status within the community,” said Mathe.
The KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team was established in 2018 following a sharp rise in politically motivated murders in the province. Since its formation, the specialised unit has investigated dozens of high-profile assassinations involving politicians, councillors, traditional leaders and business figures. Previous SAPS reports and court proceedings have shown that many of the killings were linked to political rivalries, disputes over government tenders and contract killings carried out by hired hitmen.
The task team has secured numerous arrests and convictions over the years, with investigators relying on forensic evidence, cellphone analysis, financial records and witness testimony to dismantle alleged murder syndicates operating in the province.
SAPS said investigations into the 2020 triple murder remain ongoing as detectives continue pursuing everyone who may have played a role in planning, facilitating or executing the killings. Police reiterated that all those implicated in politically linked and contract murders would be pursued and brought before the courts.
