Newly-appointed department head murdered

SHORTLY before a South Coast teacher was killed in an apparent ambush, she had changed the licence plates of her car from personalised to general numbers.

Gugu Cele, 50, was shot and killed on her way to school on October 10.

Although the motive for the killing is unknown, Cele is now one of several teachers who have either been intimidated or killed at school in KwaZulu-Natal.

A teacher in Sweetwaters in Pietermaritzburg was shot in front of pupils while holding Saturday classes, in what has been attributed to fierce contestation for positions.

Cele’s family said they were still puzzled by what led to the shooting.

“We do not know what happened, she never told us she was facing any challenges at school, or anywhere. We are just shocked by what happened,” said a relative Sibusiso Cele.

“She changed her plates, but she never said why,” he said.

Cele had taken a new position at Oshabeni High School as department head. It was reported that the day she was killed, people had come looking for her at the school, but they didn’t find her and left.

The unknown assassins allegedly waited in the bushes on the way to school. They blocked the road with large stones and, as Cele tried to turn the car around, she was shot at several times.

Oshabeni councillor, Khayelihle Shinga, described the scene as “shocking”, adding that four shots were fired at the car.

“Three came through the front window and we still do not know how the car ended up in the bushes.

“It seems like she suspected that something was about to happen or that her life was under threat. People close to her said her car used to have personalised licence plates and, recently, she changed those into regular number plates,” he said.

Police spokesperson Nqobile Gwala said a case of murder was opened at Mehlomnyama police station.