S’bu Sibiya, the ANC’s eThekwini region secretary, was shot and killed in the driveway of his Inanda home at 10pm last night.
Immediate speculation by some within the alliance is that the killing could be linked to internal tensions in the ANC.
As tributes poured in for Sibiya, SACP provincial secretary Themba Mthembu said: “It is true that these tensions and conflicts have become more visible as the regional conference draws closer.
“We also should not pretend that the tensions are not there because we have seen them during the nominations process for eThekwini councillors”.
He said this was something that the entire Tripartite Alliance had to be concerned about.
“It is worrying that in just a year two key members of the regional executive committee have been gunned down,” he said.
In March a councillor, Wiseman Mshibe, was killed in the driveway of his home.
Asked to respond to allegations that the killing could be linked to internal tensions, ANC provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala said the ANC did not want to speculate on the motive and wanted there to be a proper investigation.
Mthembu’s suspicions were echoed by Khaye Nkwanyana, a member of the provincial executive committee of the SACP and a former leader of the Young Communist League. Sibiya was an ordinary member of the SACP.
The eThekwini region is expected to hold its regional conference before the end of the year and there has been tensions.
Sibiya was shot four times, once in the head and three times in the shoulder, said Brigadier Phindile Radebe.
Radebe said a political violence task team would investigate the incident to determine whether the murder was politically related.
“We are still trying to track down the shooters,” she said.
His family were in the house, she said, and had come out when they heard the shots. “They saw him lying in the driveway.”
KZN Premier Dr Zweli Mkhize described Sibiya as a loyal and tireless party campaigner.
“Sibiya was a hard-working comrade who tirelessly campaigned for the betterment of people”s lives.
“He was instrumental in terms of ensuring the growth of the membership of the ANC in eThekwini.
“The overwhelming victory of the ANC during the recent local government elections is proof of his hard work,” said Mkhize.
More importantly, said Mkhize, he was a unifier, who was always available to discuss issues of socio-economic development and listen to all the views of comrades within the alliance.
“He will be remembered for his loyalty to the movement and his ability to execute any task given to him by this great organisation.
“May God grant his family, friends, comrades and colleagues strength during this difficult period.”
eThekwini Mayor and member of the regional Executive Committee James Nxumalo said that he had heard the sad news at 10.30pm.
“I feel like this is a loss to the ANC family – he was an engine in the organisation in his region and always knew what was going on.”
Nxumalo said that he and Sibiya had worked closely together when Nxumalo was the ANC’s regional spokesman.
“I even grew up with Comrade Sibiya, which makes this loss even greater to me,” he said.
He said he hoped that police would “leave no stone unturned” in their investigation into his murder.
The Democratic Alliance’s John Steenhuisen posted a tribute on his Facebook site: “S’bu Sibiya, we served together for a decade on council. the ANC and our city have lost a good man.”
Cosatu provincial secretary, Zet Luzipo, said Sibiya’s death had sent shockwaves among the members of Cosatu.
“All, we could say is that we are speechless and in disbelief over this. This callous act is something that we did not expect and we are in mental disarray”.
While saying that Cosatu would not speculate on the motive of the killing, Luzipo said he was convinced that the murder had been well planned.
“It is now up to the law enforcement agencies to make sure that they act against this because there are many similar unsolved cases where leaders of our movement are killed”.
Luzipo described Sibiya as a down-to-earth and polite person, which is why he was shocked by the murder.
In March, after the death of Mshibe, KZN security minister Willies Mchunu said he was worried about the number of councillors, from all parties, who had been killed in the province.
Five councillors were killed in a matter of months.
Nkwanyana said the possibility that Sibiya’s murder was linked to the leadership contest in the eThekwini region could not be ruled out.
He said that Sibiya was seen as a threat by some within the ANC. Sibiya was expected to run for re-election as regional secretary.
“Those who saw him as a threat are the same people who wanted to use the region to facilitate getting wealth through the municipality and tenders.
“S’bu was against that and they realised that he could not be contested as regional secretary because all the branches were united behind him. “This is why we suspect that he was killed.”
Nkwanyana said that Sibiya had also been a member of the SACP until his death, although he never held any prominent positions in the party.
Nkwanyana worked together with Sibiya in what was then the North Durban region.
He described Sibiya as somebody who grew up in the ANC, progressing through the ranks over the years.
* Nkosiyabo Ngubane and Xolani Aaron Zuma were arrested in connection with the murder of Mshibe and briefly appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on June 21. - Daily News