Friends at a loss after Loyiso Nkohla is gunned down in broad daylight

Barely two years after Loyiso Nkohla quit politics for a fresh start in the business world, he died in a hail of bullets in broad daylight.

The controversial social activist, who previously caused ructions for emptying buckets of faeces at the provincial legislature and Cape Town International Airport in protest against poor sanitation for the poor, was shot dead at Philippi train station in Cape Town on Monday — as police minister Bheki Cele visited victims of violent crime in the city.

Nkohla was shot alongside former ANC councillor Thembinkosi Pupa, who sustained nine gunshot wounds and was taken to hospital, as they addressed a meeting.

Western Cape police spokesperson W/O Joseph Swartbooi said: “Nyanga police responded to a complaint. Upon arrival at Philippi railway station, they found the body of a 40-year-old male who sustained fatal injuries as a result of gunshot wounds.

“The victim was declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel. Reports suggested that two females and one male, who also sustained injuries, were transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

“The unknown suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested. The motive is yet to be determined.”

Nkohla’s close friend, activist Mbulelo Dwane, said they had a meeting in Gugulethu about an hour and a half before the incident. Dwane said Nkohla had a contract with Prasa and went to the station to resolve a dispute.

“His last words were, ‘Mkhaya [homeboy] let me go and resolve this. I will see you after the meeting or first thing tomorrow’,” said Dwane.

“Another contractor apparently failed to pay employees and this was affecting work. So Loyiso went to address the unpaid employees, including his employees.”

Nkohla, a political party hopper, buried his mother in the Eastern Cape recently.

He cut his teeth in politics in the ANC, where he rose to prominence in the youth league in the province and was a councillor for the party — until his expulsion for the faeces dumping incidents. He tried the DA and formed the Land Party — only to quit later. He was a member of the Patriotic Alliance when he left politics. He was also the leader of the activist movement Ses’ Khona.

“I have known Nkohla for many years. We grew up together. I saw [that he had been shot] on Twitter. I was just around the corner. I had just had a short meeting with him, I think less than 90 minutes before [he was shot]. I wasn’t that far,” said Dwane.

“You can’t have breakfast with someone at 9am and at 10am he is dead. It is shocking.

“He is a very nice chap, very stubborn, a family man and a comrade. He was everything. He embraced us from all political formations. He buried his mother two weeks ago.”

Dwane said Nkohla had officially left politics.

“He was not active in politics. He was pursuing a business career and doing well. I know a couple of his active contracts. He had a contract with Prasa about the central line. He was also into construction and meat supply,” he said.

“There were challenges with the Prasa contract, [but it] was not something he could not handle. I don’t want to dwell much on it. It was not the gist of our meeting. But I know there were challenges with the Prasa contract, as we all know that the central line had been dead for a while. There are foreign elements that want to hijack it.”

Fellow activist Bongile Zanazo, who was convicted with Nkohla for dumping faeces, said his last conversation with him was at 10.50am.

“He had come here to meet the community leadership to clean up the railway line.

“There were concerns about his safety. We know what is happening to businesses in our communities. But he had no fear. He would leave the township about 11pm because he didn’t feel threatened in areas where our people live.”

Crime scene experts counted numerous bullet casings as Nkohla’s body lay covered in a blanket for hours. A heavy police contingent and armed security guards secured the scene.

A woman who attended the meeting, and asked for anonymity, said four men arrived and opened fire while Pupa was reading out the agenda.

“The men arrived after they had just opened the meeting with a prayer,” she said.

“Four people were shot, and one died. Pupa and two women were injured. They shot Pupa eight times in the legs while he begged them to spare his life. They shot him once in the waist.”

Ward 80 councillor Lindikaya Payiya said Nkohla was facilitating the reopening of the railway line and relocation of shack dwellers who had obstructed it.

Rows of shacks have mushroomed along the railway lines in the area, and the train station had been vandalised.

“We are disturbed by this incident because it seems that the progress is going to be stopped,” the Payiya.

“Loyiso was one of the people who were facilitating the removal of those people who are on the railway line. We are very upset.”

Khalid Sayed, deputy ANC chief whip in the Western Cape legislature, said he knew Nkohla from his youth league days.

“All I was told is that he was shot and killed at the Philippi train station,” said Sayed.

“We don’t want the evidence to be tampered with. But one would like to see the same energy and urgency when cordoning of scenes and stamping authority in preventing crime from taking place in our communities. That is lacking.”

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