‘If police make an arrest in Sindiso Magaqa case‚ I'll show you a flying pig’

“If police were doing their job properly‚ we would not be having these political killings that are going on non-stop.”

That was the testimony of ANC activist Thabiso Zulu on his second day before the Moerane Commission investigating political killings in KwaZulu-Natal in Durban on Thursday.

Zulu told the commission that he had submitted a document dealing with political killings to acting provincial police commissioner Major-General Bhekinkosi Langa in June last year ahead of the August local government elections but had not received a response.

“In a proper environment where the police are not led by the Holy Spirit‚ you would have expected them to come and find out what I know. I thought it was supposed to be taken seriously. These are some of the things that tell you all is not well.

“If police were doing their job properly‚ we would not be having these kinds of political killings that are going on non-stop‚” said Zulu.

He blamed police inefficiency in dealing with the political killings and the fact that many high-ranking police officials were in an acting capacity.

“An acting person does not have serious authority. An acting person always tries to please political principals so that they are going to appoint him or her full time. That’s why they are making sure they are making everyone to act these days so that they are going to control that person like a yo-yo. They are controlling them like a yo-yo so that there is no stability in the system.”

Zulu said political killings in the province were also as a result of factions within political parties and a scramble for tenders.

“Most political parties are embroiled in faction fights. These days factions are operating with impunity. The most unfortunate thing is political killings end up with no arrests‚” he said.

He told the commission that there was a pattern in the political killings in the province.

He said if the police made an arrest in the murder of his close friend‚ the late ANC Youth League secretary general Sindiso Magaqa‚ “I’ll show you a flying pig.”

He was referring to the announcement by the Hawks last month that a suspect linked to Magaqa’s murder was shot and killed in an attempted cash-in-transit heist.

Zulu said that the police had also shot the suspects linked to the killings of ANC’s eThekwini regional secretary S’bu Sibiya in 2011 and ANC councillor‚ Wandile 'Wonderboy' Mkhize in 2012.

“They shot all the suspects. It’s the same story with Magaqa. One of the suspects has been shot. It can’t be possible that in Harry Gwala you’re having many people taken out in the same area and police don’t get a signal‚” he said.

He wrapped up his testimony by imploring the commission to not sit on its report and be pressurised by politicians that its release might disrupt the 2019 elections.

“In our eyes the people who risked their lives‚ we will look at you commissioners‚ we will say all you were interested in was getting paid. We will look at you evidence leaders and say you just enjoyed staying in hotels. We came here we risked and sacrificed our lives‚ I’m not even sure if I will get into 2019 but I’m proud that I stood for the truth.

“I don't have money‚ PR firms to spin things on my behalf‚ I don't have security defence‚ the only thing I have is the truth‚ documents and courage‚” he said.