Ward councillor gunned down

Xolile Gwangxu.

The family of slain Democratic Alliance (DA) PR councillor Xolile Gwangxu is still struggling to come to terms with his death.

The 42-year-old father of four was shot and killed outside his office in Philippi East, around 7pm, on Wednesday June 21, shortly after he attended a community meeting.

He was talking to his party colleagues, Thandeka Gqada and Siqhamo Batala, when a man wearing a hoodie arrived at the premises and shot him in the head.

He fled the scene on foot.

Sadness was etched in the faces of his family members when Vukani visited his home at Westridrige, Mitchell’s Plain.

Mr Gwangxu’s eldest daughter, Lindokuhle Gwangxu said she was waiting for her father to pick her up from school, but after waiting for hours she decided to use another mode of transport.

The-21-year-old University of South Africa (UNISA) student said it never crossed her mind that her father’s life might have been in danger. She said she thought his meeting had run over time.

She said she was puzzled to see a lot of people when she got home. “As far as I know my father had no enemies,” she said.

“I spoke to him over the phone telling him where he will pick me up and I did not know that was going to be the very last time I would ever hear his voice again.

“I woke him up in the morning and we chatted briefly before he left.I still think that he is going to walk through that door.

“It has not yet sunk in that he is no longer alive,” she said.

Lindokuhle described her father as a loving and a caring person.

She said he was her pillar of strength. He always encouraged them to constantly strive for success.

Mr Gwangxu’s brother in-law, Jonginkosi Dlakana said Mr Gwangxu met his elder sister at school in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, and only got married four years ago.

He said all these years there was not a single day where he heard that Mr Gwangxu had ill-treated his sister.

Mr Dlakana described Mr Gwangxu as a people’s person, humble, down to earth and as someone who devoted his time to serving people.

He had always been a member of the DA and he dedicated his life to the party.

Mr Dlakana said his sister was still battling to come to terms with his death and their lives would never be the same again.

He said they believed that the person who killed him knew him and waited for the right time to execute his plan. Philippi resident, Noncendo Maphakade said she had known Mr Gwangxu for over a decade and all these years she had known him he was as a humble person. She said Mr Gwangxu assisted everyone who needed his help without asking their political affiliations.

Mayor of Cape Town Patricia De Lille issued a statement saying they would do all they could and work with the authorities to ensure that the perpetrator was brought to book and face the full might of the law. She said the City was offering a reward of R50 000 for any information that led to the arrest and successful conviction of the person responsible for this horrific crime.Philppi police station spokeperson captain Bheki Xulu said no arrests had been made and they are investigating a case of murder.