Cop linked to murder of three over land dispute

Two of the victims gunned down in view of church congregants

A long-running dispute over a piece of land occupied by a village church has taken a deadly turn with the killing of a priest, a traditional leader and congregant.

The accused is said to be a police officer, who will face murder charges when he appears in court on Monday.

The shooting incident happened on Thursday at Kwanontshinga village in Centane near Butterworth.

The victims are village headman Nkosi Siyabulela Bushenge, 48, East London church leader Maxwell Mfundiso Citwa, 50, and businessman and senior church member Lusanda Ntsompo, 48.

A fourth person, 62-year-old church member Mthetheli Koli, was injured in the attack.

Citwa was head of the Christian Mission SA Church.

The church leader and senior members were shot while assisting with the building of the church hall.

It is alleged the shooter then got into his car, drove the 400m to Bushenge’s home and shot him dead.

The suspect, said to be in his 50s and a warrant officer, has since been arrested.

It is alleged he may have used his service pistol in the commission of the crime.

Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesperson Ndileka Cola on Sunday confirmed they were investigating three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.

“The suspect has been arrested and will appear in the Butterworth magistrate’s court on Monday,” she said.

The killing spree has shocked the villagers.

Bushenge family spokesperson Kwedinana Nteseyiya said they had been dealt a heavy blow.

“We know all these people as good men of God; even the policeman was loved by many people in the village.

“We can’t believe that he is [allegedly] involved in these gruesome killings. We are shocked by this.”

Nteseyiya said Citwa and his alleged killer, who is reportedly a former member of the congregation, had been working closely to establish the church in the village.

“The suspect is the one who gave the land to the church.

“The relationship between the suspect, Citwa and the headman soured in 2019 after the suspect broke away from the church.

“Since then, he has claimed the land belongs to him personally, not to the church,” Nteseyiya said.

The ownership of the land on which the church is being built has been in and out of court.

It was unclear whether the matter had been resolved.

Villagers, speaking to the Dispatch, said the shooting had been horrible to witness.

Nontobeko Sonjaxa said people, fearing for their lives, ran in different directions as shots were fired.

“Citwa and Ntsompo’s bodies were lying in a pool of blood metres apart. The body of the headman was in a pool of blood in his home. This left us dismayed and devastated and fearing for our lives,” she said.

When the Dispatch visited the scene at the weekend, villagers were still traumatised by the events.

They questioned how they could ever feel safe again when people could be killed inside a church yard in full view of others.

Citwa’s brother, the Reverend Manene Citwa, said it was shocking that a law enforcement officer was accused of being involved in the killing of people on church property.

“My brother was not armed and was not a threat to him.

“He was shot in the head and in the chest.”

Ntsompo’s brother, Thabo Ntsompo, said they were shocked to receive a call that his brother had been killed.

“We still cannot believe that he is dead. He was a caring man who did not deserve to die so brutally. We hope the killer will be convicted and sentenced to life in jail,” he said.

Bushenge’s aunt, Noxolo Bushenge, said when they heard three gunshots, they asked her grandson to investigate what was happening.

“He found his uncle lying in a pool of blood, already dead ... [he] had bullet wounds in his abdomen and chest,” she said.

Amathole local house of traditional leaders chair Nkosi Phathuxolo Tyali said they were shocked that another traditional leader had been killed.

“Nkosi Bushenge was one of the most influential traditional leaders in the province.

“We feel traditional leaders are under siege.

“We call on the government to protect us from these killings,” he said.

Tyali called for calm and urged all parties to have confidence in the judicial system and not to avenge the killing.

Villagers were still traumatised by the events after shooting in the church yard