Piet Retief – Police in Mpumalanga have revealed that the hitman detained for allegedly killing a councillor and two others in Mkhondo is from Mbumbulu in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
The unnamed suspect who was due to appear in the Piet Retief Magistrate’s Court on Thursday was detained and charged with killing Sibonelo Mthembu (also known as Ntshangase), a councillor of the ANC in the Mkhondo local municipality.
NEWS: The latest suspect to be arrested for allegedly killing an ANC councillor of uMkhondo local municipality (Piet Retief) in Mpumalanga is from Mbumbulu in Durban. This is according to an official police statement. KZN is the country's epicentre for political killings. @IOL
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) January 18, 2023
He also allegedly killed Sandile Khumalo, 51, and Sizwe Mbingo, 40, at about 8pm at Longhomes township in Piet Retief along the South Africa-eSwatini border.
In a statement on Wednesday evening, the police in Mpumalanga revealed the suspect is from Durban.
“The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, has expressed her gratitude to the assembled team after they arrested one more suspect, 40.
“This is in connection with the fatal shooting incident at Longhomes township in Piet Retief whereby a councillor, identified as Mr Sbonelo (Mthembu) Ntshangase (36), and another two since identified as Mr Sandile Khumalo (51) and Mr Sizwe Mbingo (40).
“The three were gunned down on the evening of Friday, January 13, 2023 at about 8pm.
“The suspect, who hails from uMbumbulu in KwaZulu Natal, was taken in for questioning on Tuesday and ultimately charged with murder,” police said.
IOL has been informed by sources in Piet Retief that the suspect had allegedly been in the area for days and had been following Mthembu looking for security loopholes to kill him.
KwaZulu-Natal has been identified as the epicentre of political killings in the country.
In 2017, then premier Willies Mchunu tasked the Moerane Commission to investigate political killings in the province.
Among the many revelations during its inquiry was that the province was home to a large pool of hitmen who were also being hired to kill in other provinces.
Many of these hitmen hired to eliminate political rivals and government officials standing up against corruption were found to be from the taxi industry and hostels like Glebelands in Durban.
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