Durban — UMhlathuze Municipality ward 13 councillor Lindokuhle Ndlovu escaped an assassination attempt while driving his bakkie in Mpembeni, outside Richards Bay on Thursday.
The City of uMhlathuze mayor councillor Xolani Ngwezi strongly condemned the failed attempt on Ndlovu’s life just two weeks after the assassination of PR councillor John Myaka within the uMhlathuze municipality.
Ngwezi urged law-enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough investigation, leaving no stone unturned, in order to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Details around the shooting are unknown.
Ngwezi directed management of uMhlathuze to expedite the necessary processes to provide Ndlovu with bodyguards, as his life is evidently under threat.
Ngwezi called for a safety and risk assessment to be conducted for all councillors who have received threats in uMhlathuze, ensuring that appropriate measures were implemented to safeguard their well-being.
On Friday delegates from the City of uMhlathuze visited the home of councillor Ndlovu and reassured his family that necessary steps were being taken to ensure his protection.
Police spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo said eSikhaleni SAPS, have opened a case of attempted murder.
Meanwhile, last week the King Cetshwayo District mayor councillor Thami Ntuli condemned the spate of councillor killings rampant in the KZN province, and said that the police must do all it can to investigate, and bring to book all those involved in the murders.
Some residents in the area have voiced their anger and disappointments around the councillor shootings ongoing in the area.
Gilisto Mgalafawu claimed that the councillor was shot because he refused to give his assailants tenders, or he was fighting with the community around the tenders.
While Mthembiseni Nkosinathi Bhengu said that when it came to the tender awarding, the councillors would usually tell the main contractor who he must appoint as the sub-contractors, and then others would be left outside the process, which angers them.
UMhlathuze Municipality has appealed to police to make sure that criminals who assassinate councillors are brought to book. The City said that it was deeply concerned about the safety of its councillors following a spate of councillor shootings, one resulting in murder when the African Christian Democratic Party’s Myaka was shot and killed while conducting a church sermon a few weeks ago.
Also, in the region, an uMkhanyakude District Municipality councillor Innocent Mkhwanazi was shot and killed a week ago around Mtubatuba.
WhatsApp your views on this story to 071 485 7995.
Daily News