ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula was participating in a morning fitness routine when businessman Wandile Bozwana was assassinated in October 2015, his lawyer told the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday.
Advocate Smanga Sethene presented Mbalula’s alibi, stating the politician was engaged in group aerobics followed by cycling when the North West tender mogul was gunned down in a high-profile hit. “Photographic evidence shows my client at a public fitness session – his whereabouts were open and verifiable,” Sethene argued, dismissing attempts to link Mbalula to the crime as “baseless speculation.”
The murder case, which has dragged for eight years, resurfaced Mbalula’s name during recent testimony about Bozwana’s associates. The ANC leader – who describes his relationship with the deceased as purely social – faces no charges.
Bozwana’s daylight assassination sparked national outrage over political killings and tender corruption. While several perpetrators have been convicted, the case remains active as prosecutors continue investigating possible masterminds.
The defense’s submission seeks to conclusively remove Mbalula from the case’s orbit. Proceedings continue as the court examines one of South Africa’s most notorious post-apartheid political murders.
