Cape ANC official shot dead
FORMER ANC councillor and current provincial executive committee member Elese Depouche was shot dead while his wife Nobuntu was wounded in what the family believe was a hit on Tuesday night.
The couple came under fire while in their driveway after visiting a family in Crossroads. No one has been arrested.
Depouche, 50, was an ANC councillor for ward 36 between 1996 and 2016. He lost his seat after an internal party disciplinary hearing found him guilty of a 2013 incident of pointing a firearm at an elderly resident.
Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana said a murder and attempted murder case was being investigated.
Rwexana said Depouche and Nobuntu were in their premises inside their car when two men approached them and fired several shots.
Rwexana said both victims were transported to hospital for medical treatment. Depouch died due to his injuries. The family spokesperson Yonki Rasayi said the shooting “was not a robbery but a hit”. “Nothing was taken from him, he was targeted,” he said.
“There were people who wanted him dead last year,” Rasayi said.
SA Communist Party spokesperson Zuko Mndayi said Depouche woud be remembered for a “lifelong legacy of dedication to the liberation of the people of South Africa”.
YESTERDAY, the ANC received the heartbreaking news of the passing of Comrade Elese Depouche.
We will rightfully remember him as a humble and honest bearer of the interests of the poor, a man who realised that politics and public service is more than just work, a warrior who daily toiled to make the lives of residents in this province better.
As the ANC, we ache with his passing. Depouche was shot as he entered his house at about 8pm. The motive for his murder, and who is responsible, isn’t known at this stage.
The ANC celebrates the spirit of resilience and good humour of Depouche, which saw him through a lot of political challenges and personal sacrifices in the fight for a better life for our people.
Depouche was resilient, patient, and had an indomitable spirit. He did not stand for those who were being wellserved at the expense of others.
He became involved in developing young people in his community; he raised money for the poor in his community and continued to fight for others to get a better deal in life.
The challenges comrade Depouche faced in his community did not result in him surrendering to self-pity and regret; and he did not retreat from his political commitment and public life.
Through these challenges, Depouche became more alive to the pain and suffering of others.
We hope that as we take time to reflect on his life, we can look at lives beyond our own, the majority of our people still languishing in informal settlements and slums and stifling environments in the townships.
May comrade Depouche’s passing stir us into action; call us to care and fight harder for equality in the province.
As the ANC family in the Western Cape, we send our sincere condolences to his family at this difficult time.