A businessman who blew the whistle on alleged irregularities involving a multi-million rand Department of Home Affairs tender was shot dead in a hail of bullets moments after dropping his children at school in Roodepoort in 2022.
Nearly four years later, a 30-year-old man accused of conspiring to have him killed has appeared before the Randburg Magistrate’s Court.
Accused appears in court
Minenhle Mthembu appeared in court on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, facing a charge of conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the death of Marumo Eric Phenya.
Phenya was ambushed and killed on 17 October 2022 shortly after dropping his children off at school. According to investigators, he had received threats prior to the fatal shooting.
Hawks detail prior threats
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) said the deceased and his spouse were warned before the attack.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said Phenya was ambushed in a hail of bullets after the school drop-off and that threatening messages had warned that a hit had been taken out on the couple.
Arrest in KwaZulu-Natal
Investigators received information that the accused was hiding in Mtubatuba, north of Durban.
The South African Police Service in KwaZulu-Natal followed up on the intelligence and arrested the suspect on 10 February 2026.
He briefly appeared before the Mtubatuba Magistrate’s Court on 12 February before being handed over to the Gauteng Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team.
Case postponed for legal representation
The matter was postponed to 18 February 2026 to allow Mthembu time to secure legal representation as investigations continue.
Whistleblower killings sit at the uneasy intersection of corruption, power, and personal risk — a reminder that transparency can carry a very real human cost in systems still wrestling with accountability.
