Two men accused of the shocking attempted murder of senior advocate Coreth Naudé, a key figure in a tax inquiry involving businesswoman Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize, made a brief appearance at the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 23 December.
Siyanda Emmanuel Mbulwana (29) and Mcebisi Runeyi (28) face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, possession of a semi-automatic rifle, and attempted murder. Magistrate Ashwin Singh prohibited the media from recording or photographing the suspects during the proceedings. The matter was adjourned to 30 December to allow for bail consideration, with the pair remanded in custody at Durban Central police station.
KwaZulu-Natal police described the arrests, made in Cape Town last week, as a “major breakthrough.” Naudé was ambushed on 18 July outside the Premier Hotel near Durban North’s Gateway Theatre of Shopping. According to police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda, two armed men opened fire as Naudé drove into the hotel, wounding her three times in the upper body and face.
Despite her injuries, Naudé managed to drive to safety inside the hotel, where she received emergency medical attention before being rushed to the hospital. The suspects fled the scene in a silver Toyota Corolla.
The case was handed over to the Provincial Serious and Violent Crime: Murder and Robbery Unit, which launched an intensive investigation.
High-Profile Tax Investigations
At the time of the attack, Advocate Naudé was in Durban investigating several high-profile tax evasion cases. One of these involved Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize, a prominent businesswoman and reality TV personality.
Mkhize has long been under scrutiny by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and was recently thrust back into the spotlight following a police and SARS raid on her luxury mansion in La Lucia on 26 November. Reports indicate that Mkhize owes SARS an estimated R37 million in unpaid taxes.
As investigations into both the attempted murder and the tax evasion cases continue, these events have raised serious concerns about the risks faced by professionals working on high-stakes financial inquiries.
