ANC councillor shot dead in southern KZN a month after speaker's murder

An ANC ward councillor has been killed in Umzimkhulu in southern KwaZulu-Natal‚ just a month after the murder of the municipality’s speaker.

Umzimkhulu Municipality councillor Mduduzi Shibase‚ 39‚ was gunned down on Tuesday night‚ exactly a month after speaker and ANC deputy secretary in the Harry Gwala region‚ Khaya Thobela‚ was shot dead.

ANC spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli called on Transport‚ Community Safety and Liaison MEC Mxolisi Kaunda to urgently intervene in the security crisis faced by councillors in the province "as it is clear that there is a systematic way of eliminating ANC leaders".

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He said that Shibase‚ killed while arriving at his homestead in Gugwini in Ward 14‚ grew up in the ranks of the ANC Youth League. He had been a councillor for Ward 14 and had qualified as a teacher.

"The ANC calls on the people of Umzimkhulu to be calm and report incidents of violence to the police so that perpetrators of these heinous crimes will be brought to book. The ANC wishes to place on record that these gruesome killings will not deter it‚" said Ntuli.

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KwaZulu-Natal MEC for co-operative governance Nomusa Dube-Ncube on Wednesday condemned Shibase's killing.

"It is with outrage that we react to the killing of yet another elected public representative in our local government. Our thoughts and prayers are with the grieving family‚" Dube-Ncube said in a statement.

"We urge the law enforcement agencies to investigate this murder with speed and apprehend those responsible without delay. We also urge the local community to remain calm as this investigation unfolds."

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Shibase's murder follows a string of other political killings of officials in KwaZulu-Natal. A former ward councillor‚ Khayelihle Mgcwaba‚ was shot dead last week at his house in the Machunwini area.

Assailants entered the house and shot him dead. A case of murder was opened at Ibisi police station. His wife and two suspected accomplices‚ aged 26 to 33‚ were arrested and charged with murder.

-TMG Digital/TimesLIVE