KZN police cannot be trusted: IFP

It is difficult to trust police deployed in KwaMashu after the killing of an Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) member outside court, the party said on Tuesday.

"The minister of police [Nathi Mthethwa] should deploy police from other provinces to keep calm in areas of political violence in KwaZulu-Natal; clearly police from the province cannot be trusted," spokesman Albert Mncwango said.

He said it was shocking that police were present when IFP member Siya Dlamini was shot dead outside the Ntuzuma Magistrate's Court on Monday.

He said police watched the drama unfold without doing anything, despite having been deployed there because of the volatile political situation.

"Our SA Police Service's behaviour is disappointing and proof that they cannot be trusted if a person can be killed like that in front of them."

He alleged that a National Freedom Party (NFP) member produced a gun while police were watching and fired two shots without them "raising a brow".

"In other countries something like this would have not happened in the presence of the police. They would have not watched a person being shot at and killed in front of them."

He said the party was shocked by NFP leader Zanele Magwaza-Msibi's reaction to the crime.

"Instead of condemning her people who are targeting and killing IFP members, she rather asked for deployment of soldiers to the hostels."

National Freedom Party (NFP) spokesman Nhlanhla Khubisa condemned the killings.

"The NFP abhors violence and condemns political killings. We condemn violence and we ask the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner and the MEC for public safety... to deploy more police into KwaMashu."

The government said on Tuesday it was shocked by the shooting, and condemned the violence.

"This incident is highly regrettable especially in a democratic country. Government conveys its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased," acting government spokeswoman Phumla Williams said in a statement.

"Political parties and the public in general are encouraged to engage in dialogue to resolve differences and to uphold the laws of the country."

The man accused of shooting dead the IFP supporter outside the Ntuzuma Magistrate's Court was expected to appear in the same court facing murder charges on Wednesday.