Undercover cops crack municipal ‘hitman plot’
Mhlontlo manager had been set to testify against accused in fraud case ASANDA NINI and ZIYANDA ZWENI
A municipal official allegedly wanted to hire a hitman to kill Mhlontlo municipal manager Thando Mase, a witness who is expected to testify against him in an upcoming fraud case.
Zwelilungile Siqhola, 41, the rural municipality’s infrastructure project manager, was netted in a dramatic sting operation on Saturday while attempting to hire a hitman to kill Mase, according to the state.
He made a brief appearance in the Mthatha magistrate’s court on Monday. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder, possession of illegal firearms and possession of unlicensed ammunition.
Mase, the municipality’s former infrastructure director, was Siqhola’s immediate boss when the alleged fraud took place between April and June 2017.
He was appointed Mhlontlo municipal manager less than a month ago.
Siqhola’s arrest comes as allegations of political killings and hits sweep the country. Where previously these had been largely confined to KwaZulu-Natal, incidents of this nature appear to be occurring with alarming frequency in the rest of the country.
Siqhola, wearing a long black coat, seemed nervous as he appeared before magistrate Moonsamy Govender on Monday.
The case was postponed to September 21 for a formal bail application.
Mase, as well as Mhlontlo mayor Nompumelelo Dywili, attended court on Monday.
Provincial police spokesperson colonel Sibongile Soci said Siqhola was arrested in Mthatha on Saturday after trying to hire two undercover police officers for an alleged hit on Mase.
She said when information was received about the alleged hit, the tactical response team (TRT) in Qumbu met up with the crime intelligence unit and “decided that two police agents will be placed to act as hitmen who will be hired to do the hit, and a meeting point was set up”.
“The TRT team was placed in the vicinity of NorthCrest, Mthatha and the suspect’s vegarage hicle was spotted.”
At this point, the two undercover officers allegedly met Siqhola in his vehicle at the Caltex garage on the N2 in NorthCrest. That was when the TRT team pounced.
In an initial statement, Soci had said three men were arrested in Siqhola’s car, which was cornered at the Caltex on the N2 in NorthCrest.
However, it turned out that the other two men in the vehicle were the undercover police officers.
One 9mm pistol with one magazine and eight rounds of ammunition, and one Norinco 9mm pistol with one magazine and six rounds of ammunition, as well as 18 loose rounds of 9mm ammunition were found in the suspect’s vehicle, Soci said.
According to National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luxolo Tyali, Siqhola allegedly forged Mase’s signature and signed a document to authorise payment to a company belonging to a relative.
The relative apparently had been contracted to build a slab on a portion of an access road to Khalankomo village.
Siqhola was later charged with defrauding the municipality of R169,000.
Tyali confirmed on Monday that he would appear in the Qumbu regional court on the fraud charges on Wednesday.
Dywili told the Dispatch she was informed of the alleged plot to kill Mase by “the office of the premier”.
Speaking to the Dispatch outside court on Monday, Mase said he had become immune to shock and fear. He said the law should take its course. He did not care whether Siqhola was released on bail or not.
Cogta MEC Xolile Nqatha on Monday said developments at Mhlontlo were “deeply concerning”. “Not long ago, in that same Mhlontlo council, a supply chain management official was killed, and another one was gunned down and killed at Amathole municipality.”