Another ANC councillor murdered
KWAZULU-NATAL has been rocked by yet another political killing. ANC councillor Kwazukwakhe Mkhize was gunned down after a community meeting at the Inkanyezi Community Hall near Camperdown, in the Mkhambathini municipal area, on Wednesday.
Mkhize’s death takes the toll of municipal officials killed in the province this year to four.
Mkhize was the Ward 3 councillor in the Mkhambathini Municipality. It is alleged he was walking towards the exit of the property when he was shot in the back.
ANC KZN spokesperson Mdumiseni Ntuli said they were shocked to hear of Mkhize’s death.
“Comrade Mkhize was one of the youngest councillors in the ANC. He was serving his first term as a councillor,” said Ntuli. He said officials who attended the scene were concerned that Mkhize, 34, was at a meeting that was mainly attended by ANC officials.
“This is very concerning for us. Comrade Mkhize was giving a report on the state of the ward and service delivery issues.
“This killing has nothing to do with the meeting and it is obvious that the person hired to shoot Comrade Mkhize was lying in wait,” said Ntuli.
In March, Edward Sibusiso Sithole was killed in an apparent ambush. At the time of his death, Sithole was employed as the Richmond municipal manager.
A few weeks later, Thandazile Phoswa was shot dead at her house in Ndaleni, Richmond. Phoswa was the deputy mayor.
In June, Richmond ward councillor Sfiso Mkhize was gunned down while on his way home. Earlier this month, Xolani Duma, the Mooi Mpofana mayor, was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation treatment after an arson attack on his home.
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube has called on law enforcement agencies to root out crime and violence faced by local government representatives.
“There is clearly an agenda to create a climate of fear and insecurity in our communities through these attacks on their leaders,” she said.
Political analyst Imraan Buccus said it was not surprising that there was an increase in political killings before the ANC’s elective conference in December.
“One needs to bear in mind that KZN is the epicentre of political violence. The dynamic has changed in substantial ways in that it has moved from inter-party violence to largely intra-party killings. This is linked to the politics of patronage, and that patronage has become toxic in South Africa,” said Buccus.
The Hawks are investigating a case of murder.