Slain speaker spoke of death to family
ANC says killing was ‘pure crime’
The son of slain former speaker of the rural Nkomazi municipality has said his father knew there were people who wanted him dead.
Speaking to Sowetan yesterday after the burial of Victor Mashabane, 55, who was shot dead execution-style on Tuesday last week, Mthobisi Mashabane said his father told him some people wanted him dead. He, however, would not say whether the killing was politically motivated.
“My father told us here at home that there were people who wanted him dead for disagreeing [with them] in ideas. I cannot say this was politics, but he could not elaborate more or say names, but he knew the people behind his death,” said Mthobisi.
Mashabane was accosted by unknown men at the gate of his house in KaMhlushwa township near Malalane on Tuesday evening, kidnapped to a nearby village and shot dead there.
There was nothing taken from his car.
ANC Mpumalanga spokeswoman Sasekani Manzini said people should refrain from labelling Mashabane’s death as politically motivated because it was “pure crime”.
“The PEC is in a process of uniting the ANC. We therefore call on non-members and members of the ANC to refrain from the temptation of suggesting that the incident which resulted in us losing our comrade has something to do with politics,” said Manzini.
Police have asked for anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspects to come forward. “We appeal for anyone who has information on the case to contact detective Captain Pat Banda at 082-4490291,” said Mpumalanga police spokesman Leonard Hlathi.