- Bongani Nkosi, 28, was beaten in Pongola’s Ntumbane area and died in hospital, with police saying the motive for the attack is unclear.
- The ANC’s Mzala Nxumalo Region has called on SAPS to investigate and is demanding action against an IFP regional leader and deputy mayor allegedly involved in leading the mob.
A man accused of stock theft was beaten and killed by a mob in Pongola. Now the ANC is pointing a finger at a deputy mayor.
Bongani Nkosi, 28, was assaulted by a group of unknown suspects in the Ntumbane area of Pongola. He was rushed to hospital but did not survive. Pongola Police are investigating a case of murder. Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the motive for the attack remains unclear at this stage.
The ANC’s Mzala Nxumalo Region has condemned the killing and is calling on SAPS to conduct a swift and impartial investigation. But the party is not stopping at condemnation. Regional spokesperson Lawrence Dube said the ANC is deeply concerned about the alleged involvement of an IFP regional leader, who also serves as a deputy mayor in one of the Zululand municipalities, in leading the mob that killed Nkosi.
The IFP has not responded to the allegation. The deputy mayor has not been named publicly by the ANC.
“Vigilantism is a direct threat to our constitutional democracy and the rights of every citizen to a fair trial,” said Dube.
He said the ANC maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards stock theft, which severely impacts the livelihoods of rural communities. But no individual or group has the right to bypass the law.
The ANC is also demanding action against the IFP leader accused of involvement in the killing.
Mob justice against suspected stock thieves has become a recurring problem in northern KZN, with communities in areas including Pongola, Vryheid, Ulundi and Nongoma increasingly taking matters into their own hands amid frustration over low conviction rates.
Pictured above: The ANC in the Mzala Nxumalo Region has condemned the mob killing of stock theft suspect Bongani Nkosi in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal.
Image source: ANC
