DURBAN - NEWS that a sitting ANC councillor was arrested for the murder of his “colleague” has sparked outrage in the eThekwini Municipality, with councillors on the opposition benches calling for the man to be suspended from his position.
DA councillor Thabani Mthethwa said they had written to the Office of the Speaker, Thabani Nyawose, calling for action following the arrest.
The ANC in the eThekwini region confirmed that one of its councillors had been arrested, along with other suspects. It said this was in connection with the murder of ward ANC candidate Siyabonga Mkhize and his associate and ANC member Mzukisi Nyanga in Cato Crest last November.
The two were shot dead shortly before the local government elections. Mkhize had been standing for the position of councillor in the ward, and the ANC won the ward despite his death.
After the elections, by-elections were held in February, and another ANC councillor, Mkhipheni Mzimuni Ngiba, won the ward.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal, Natasha Kara, said yesterday that four men had appeared in court on charges of murder. Ngiba is among the four facing charges. The others are Nkosinathi Emmanuel Nkosi Mlomo Ngcobo, Sandile Mzizi and Sfiso Vincent Mlondo.
Kara said they faced two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder, and the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
“They appeared last week, and the case was postponed to June 24 for a bail application,” she said.
Mthethwa said the DA had written to Nyawose to seek clarity and impress upon him as the custodian of the councillors’ code of conduct to take the necessary action against the councillor.
“It is a known fact that our province, particularly eThekwini, has for years been a hotspot for many unresolved political killings of leaders and activists. eThekwini in this current economic climate cannot afford to have the city’s image tainted by such allegations against a serving councillor,” said Mthethwa.
Such criminal issues needed to be taken seriously, he said, as no investor would invest in a city where no action was taken against a councillor facing such serious allegations. “We call on the Speaker to ensure this councillor is removed from office so as to defend the image of the municipality.”
EFF councillor Thabane Miya said the party welcomed the arrests. “Those behind any criminal activity must face the might of the law. These political killings in KZN are really unacceptable.”
He said the EFF was not surprised that a councillor had been implicated.
“We know there is a presumption of innocence until proven guilty, but Speaker Nyawose should take action against the concerned councillor, including suspending the councillor until the matter has been resolved,” he said.
Mlondi Mkhize, the ANC eThekwini Region spokesperson, said while they accepted the principle of natural justice that a person was presumed innocent until proven otherwise, they wanted justice for the party’s fallen comrades.
“We stand with the families of our fallen comrades, and we want to see justice. Our freedom is threatened each time a member of the community is murdered. For this reason we implore law enforcement agencies to act decisively to root out rogue elements behind the killing of leaders and innocent members of society in our region.”
Members of the community must unwaveringly work with the police and isolate criminals, he said. “We will be watching this case closely until its final stages. Importantly, we wish to assure the community affected by the absence of the councillor, who is currently in custody, that the ANC will deploy a PR councillor to service the community.
“When the people of eThekwini went to the polls, they voted for services such as water, electricity, housing, road infrastructure, jobs and access to economic opportunities. We will never let them down.
“Finally, we call upon all ANC volunteers to continue to mobilise communities to stand up against any form of crime. We must intensify the fight against crime – from the unacceptable level of murders, assaults, robberies and hijacking to domestic violence. The culture of impunity should not be tolerated in this region,” he said.
Mluleki Mntungwa, the spokesperson for the mayor’s office, said the municipality was on record as saying that it would never stand in the way of institutions tasked with dispensing justice, and that it would co-operate with the authorities when called on to do so.
MOST READ:
– WATCH: Two suspects appear in court over theft of fuel worth R1200 from a Westville garage