Durban – One of the men responsible for the murder of Sindiso Magaqa is amongst 28 suspects arrested for political killings in KwaZulu-Natal, Police Minister Bheki Cele said on Thursday.
“As of this morning, a suspect who is linked to the killing of the late African National Congress Youth League former secretary-general, Mr Sindiso Magaqa, appeared in the uMzimkhulu Regional Court, his matter has been remanded to 23 September 2018 for a formal bail hearing,” said Cele.
“He is not the last one [who will be arrested]. We are still hunting some other people.”
In September 2017, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, announced one of the suspects allegedly involved in Magaqa’s killing, Jabulani Mdunge, 38, who lived between Durban’s Berea and a KwaMashu hostel, was killed in a shoot-out with police on the N2 between Kokstad and Harding, after being linked to a cash-in-transit robbery.
Magaqa, a PR councillor at uMhlathuze Local Municipality at the time of his death, was gunned down along with colleagues Nontsikelelo Mafa and Jabu Msiya in the uMzimkhulu area in July 2017. Magaqa died in September due to “complications from multiple gunshot wounds”, according to police, while Mafa and Msiya both survived.
Of the 28 suspects that had been arrested, 22 were in custody, two were granted bail and four had been released [pending] further investigations.
On Thursday, Cele said that eight nine-millimetre pistols, one revolver, 12 rounds of ammunition and eight magazines were recovered from the suspects.
The police were “sharpening” their “claws”, said Cele, and suspects should hand themselves over instead of waiting to be “found” by authorities.
Other successes included the arrest of six suspects on Tuesday who were linked to the killing of ANC Moses Mabhida Region activist Musawenkosi “Maqatha” Mchunu.
“They appeared in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court and their matter was remanded for formal bail application to 20 September,” he said.
Cele said they were currently dealing with 137 cases linked to political killings, up from 126 announced in July. He attributed the increase to administrative reasons linked to the formal hand over of open dockets to the task team.