THE trial of Chief Sive Khumalo has been postponed to Monday, 23 March, to allow for plea bargaining.
The 42-year-old chief appeared in the KaBokweni Magistrates Court in Mpumalanga on Monday, 16 March.
Khumalo, who leads the Gutshwa traditional council, is facing charges of defeating the ends of justice and failing to keep a firearm safe.
The charges relate to a tragic incident in July 2024 at his home.
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According to reports, Khumalo's kids were allegedly playing with a firearm on 3 July 2024 in his presence when one of them accidentally pulled the trigger, shooting and killing the other kid.
Khumalo reportedly told cops that he was driving his bakkie in Chweni with his nine-year-old son when an unknown man pointed a firearm at them.
He tried to drive away but was shot, and his son was injured in the process.
Police said the KaBokweni cops were alerted by a nearby hospital about a nine-year-old boy who had succumbed to gunshot wounds.
On arrival, officers confirmed the boy had died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Khumalo was arrested in October 2025 after an intensive investigation and is out on R8 000 bail.
