Mbalula appoints task team to probe KZN murders

POLICE Minister Fikile Mbalula has announced a task team that will investigate the spate of political killings in KwaZulu-Natal.

Mbalula told a media briefing in Parliament yesterday details of the task team would be revealed on Sunday.

He also said there had been a breakthrough in the hijacking of Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Thabang Makwetla.

Makwetla was hijacked in Pretoria earlier this week. The hijackers drove around with him before dropping him off in Brits, in North West.

Mbalula said four suspects were arrested and one, Brendan Mashego, had already appeared in court.

The other three suspects will appear in court later. Since last year more than 20 councillors had been killed in KwaZulu-Natal.

This week another ANC councillor was shot dead in the province, bringing to three the number of councillors murdered within a month.

It appeared people were fighting over positions, but the task team would get to the bottom of the killings.

He said they would also bring in the State Security Agency in to investigate the political murders in KwaZuluNatal. “We will combine our efforts. A lot of people will be arrested in due course. Our team will not come from KwaZulu-Natal, it will come directly from headquarters to deal with the killing of political figures.I can assure you we will make headway.”

The killings have not been limited to politicians, but has extended to senior officials in municipalities.

Last year, Mbalula’s predecessor Nathi Nhleko set up a task team led by the Hawks to investigate the political killings in the province.

It reported in Parliament early this year on the investigations. Some of the people wanted for the murders had not yet been arrested.