Home » KZN Suffers 3 Political Killings in Under a Week

KZN Suffers 3 Political Killings in Under a Week

On Friday two political leaders from different parties were assassinated in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and a third was assassinated in front of his family on Monday… sparking fears that political killings which previously plagued the province are “rearing their ugly head” again, as the country prepares for the National Election next year. The African National […]

By SAPeople
12-05-18 22:59
in Eish!

On Friday two political leaders from different parties were assassinated in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and a third was assassinated in front of his family on Monday… sparking fears that political killings which previously plagued the province are “rearing their ugly head” again, as the country prepares for the National Election next year.

Sbuyiselo Dlamini. Source: FB/Scelo Mlungisi Ngwenya

The African National Congress (ANC) called on the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, to urgently intervene in the impending security crisis in KZN, as it is “clear that there is an existing systematic plan to eliminate political leaders to sow doubt in the minds of voters in the province ahead of next year’s democratic elections”.

Democratic Alliance (DA) KZN Provincial Leader Zwakele Mncwango said on Saturday morning: “We are concerned that in the past 24 hours there has been bloodshed in this province, with a history of violence and murder.”

The two men gunned down on Friday were former Youth League Leader in Pietermaritzburg, Msawenkosi “Maqatha-Qashana” Mchunu, and an IFP Councillor in the Zululand District, Sbuyiselo Dlamini. Both were shot and killed – Mchunu in the Moses Mabhida Region, and Dlamini in Ulundi.

On Saturday evening, the ANC issued a statement condemning the “brutal, callous, and cold-blooded murder of politicians in KwaZulu-Natal”.

The ruling party said it was “dismayed and shocked” by the “evil scourge” in the province following the loss of three community leaders in less than a week

The third was Sifiso Cele, Oshabeni branch treasurer at Ray Nkonyeni Municipality on the Lower South Coast Region, who was assassinated on Monday in front of his family.
The ANC said Mchunu was shot at his house in KwaPata by two unknown males. It is alleged that the assailants stormed Mchunu’s home and opened fire on him without a word. He was rushed to hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
Mchunu had a long history with the ANC, serving as chairperson of the ANCYL from 1996 for several years before graduating to the ANC. The ANC said he had served with distinction.
At the time of his passing, Mchunu was serving as a Provincial Organising Secretary of the South African National Civic Organisation SANCO Provincial Organizing Secretary.
The ANC called on residents of KZN to be calm and report incidents of violence and crime to the police

The DA said: “As we head to 2019, we are concerned by the political killings rearing its ugly head again in this province, we call upon the security authorities to step up and prevent the resurrection of these senseless killings.”

In an unrelated attack, also in KZN, one man was killed and two injured during a vicious attack on a mosque in Verulam on Thursday.