Slain ANC councillor received threatening call before hit

Slain ANC ward councillor Phendukani Mabhida received a threatening call allegedly from someone known to him last week, who told him his days are numbered — before he was murdered in Sundumbili in northern KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday night.

Mabhida, 40, was shot dead by two unknown men at his home. His sister, who tried to intervene, was also shot and is recovering in hospital.

Jabulani Mkhize, Mabhida's cousin, said the family was told about the death threat.

“Apart from that threatening call, he didn't tell us anything as a family that he had enemies,” said Mkhize.

He was not aware if the threat was reported to police.

The date for the funeral is yet been finalised.

“We will wait for his sister to be discharged before we finalise everything,” he said.

TimesLIVE has learnt from reliable sources Mabhida squared up to a business forum over tenders. One source said members of the business forum were complaining he was sidelining them when there were “business opportunities” in the area.

“They were saying they were not given opportunities if there are jobs, which is why there was bad blood between them,” said the source.

KZN co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi condemned the killing of the councillor, who served ward 18 since 2021. He called on law enforcement agencies to arrest his killers.

Police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said a search is under way for the suspects.

“Police in Sundumbili are investigating cases of murder and attempted murder after an incident in which a 40-year-old ward councillor was shot dead and a 42-year-old relative was shot and wounded during a shooting incident on Tuesday night at the victim’s homestead at Mhambuma Res in Sundumbili,” he said.

TimesLIVE