Msinga - The former IFP Mayor of Msinga in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, Mletheni “Mlethi” Ndlovu, has survived an attempt to kill him on Friday night.
Ndlovu and his bodyguard escaped when the suspected hitmen pounced on them.
BREAKING NEWS: The former IFP Mayor of Umsinga in KZN, Mletheni Ndlovu, has survived an attempt to kill him overnight. So far what is known is that he escaped when they pounced on him & his car was damaged. Ndlovu shot to notoriety last year when a fellow Umsinga IFP councillor
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) March 25, 2023
They were forced to abandon their car which was later sprayed with a hail of bullets, torched and damaged beyond recognition.
An informer from Msinga told IOL on Saturday that it was not easy to tell whether the attempt to kill the former had to do with politics since “there are other issues”.
PHOTO: This is how the vehicle belonging to the former IFP mayor of Umsinga, Mletheni Ndlovu, was left after being torched last night. Ndlovu who shot to notoriety last year, fled with his bodyguards. The motive for the attempted murder is not yet known. @IOL pic.twitter.com/9P7R52TNYr
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) March 25, 2023
Ndlovu shot to notoriety last year when a fellow Msinga IFP councillor accused him of allegedly masterminding the assassination of another IFP councillor.
The matter took a heated turn when one of the councillors who survived the assassination, publicly fingered Ndlovu for the murder.
That happened at the funeral of the councillor who succumbed to the gunshot wounds and it was before hundreds of shocked mourners.
The surviving councillor alleged that he saw Ndlovu coming to the scene, shortly after the shooting, thinking that he was dead, to inspect “if the hitmen diligently carried out the work.”
However, Ndlovu’s accuser never opened a case with the police to investigate his claims of Ndlovu’s involvement in the hit.
Ndlovu vehemently denied the allegations levelled against him.
He was later arrested for an unrelated charge of being in possession of an illegal firearm, forcing the IFP to sack him after a public outcry.
The police in KwaZulu-Natal confirmed the attempt to kill Ndlovu and his bodyguards and said an investigation is underway.
“Police in Msinga are investigating two counts of attempted murder and one for malicious damage to property after a 50-year-old man and his bodyguard survived a shooting at Mkhuphula area in Msinga on Friday night.
“Reports indicate that the two were travelling in their vehicle when they saw three men standing on the road.
“When the driver tried to swerve the vehicle, the suspects allegedly started firing towards the vehicle.
“The two victims managed to escape into the nearby forest. Their vehicle was then set on fire, allegedly by the suspects.
“No one was reported injured and the motive behind the shooting is unknown at this stage. A search for the suspects is underway,” the SAPS said in a statement.