Kayamandi activist killed before planned service delivery march
A PLANNED service delivery march from Kayamandi township to Stellenbosch Town Hall went ahead, even after the organiser of the march was killed at his house yesterday.
The family of Kayamandi community activist Midas Wanana claims a dawn phone call asking him to move his Toyota Quantum taxi from blocking the entrance to a home about 100m away from Wanana’s front door in “O” Zone, was used to lure him to his death.
Wanana, who was in the headlines earlier in the year for leading a “land grab” of the Louisenhof Wine Estate owned by Stefan Smit, who was killed in June, was shot a couple of hours before he was due to participate in a service delivery march.
Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said Wanana was shot by three unknown suspects and died in hospital.
“The suspects fled the scene and no arrests have been made.
The circumstances are being investigated and the motive is yet to be established.”
Wanana’s sister, Nikelwa, said yesterday, “Someone called for Midas’s
wife saying Midas’ taxi was blocking someone’s driveway.
“On hearing this message, Midas went out to move the taxi, thinking his driver had blocked the neighbour’s exit.
“When he got to the taxi, someone shot him. Nobody saw who did it.”
Nikelwa suspects the neighbour who made the call to Midas’ wife of being part of the plot.
She pointed out the neighbour’s house and said she hasvanished.
“She will tell me what happened to my brother.”
Wanana’s colleague Zola Ndalasi said he feared for his life.
“We don’t know who killed him, but we suspect that those who killed Wanana are those we were marching against.
“They are the people who want to ruin Kayamandi.
“They thought if they killed one of us, we wouldn’t march against them, but we did.
“We will work with police.” Yesterday’s march was organised by the Kayamandi Combined Community (KCC) which claims to be the rightful representative of the informal settlement’s residents, specifically Wards 12, 14 and 15.
It was to protest what the KCC referred to in their pre-march flyer as, “people who are blocking service delivery in Kayamandi”.
The KCC said the machinations of a rival group were the reason for their march.
The Stellenbosch municipality said, “the municipality serves all communities and we will always accept memorandums from any community group who wishes to interact with us”.
Meanwhile, Stellenbosch’s municipal manager Geraldine Mettler yesterday received the memorandum from the KCC marchers and undertook to thoroughly examine the contents of the memo before responding within the prescribed seven days.
Spokesperson for the municipality Stuart Grobbelaar said: “The municipal manager also expressed her heartfelt condolences (to) Wanana’s family and friends.
“She thanked the residents for the peaceful manner in which they had gathered.”
Phelisa Sitshoti, ANC ward councillor in the municipality spoke at Wanana’s house and consoled his family and friends who had gathered.
She said she worked alongside Wanana on many issues.