By Everson Luhanga
- Police charged a 55-year-old chief and 23-year-old hitman within a week of getting the 121 cases back.
- The suspects killed activist Xolani Ntombela who exposed illegal land sales in Mpophomeni in November 2022.
Police have made their first arrests from the 121 political killing cases returned to investigators last month.
A 55-year-old local chief and a 23-year-old hitman were charged for murdering activist Xolani Ndlovu Ntombela.
The suspects were arrested within a week of police receiving the 121 political killings dockets on 28 August. Ntombela’s case was one of them.
Ntombela was shot and killed at his home in Mpophomeni, Howick, in November 2022. He died after exposing the illegal sale of land in the Emasosheni area.
Both suspects face charges of planning to commit murder, murder, and having an unlicensed gun and bullets.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the quick arrests from the returned dockets are encouraging.
“The turnaround time and swift arrests following the return of the dockets is encouraging and it is a step in the right direction,” she said.
“We urge the team to continue with their investigations in the remaining 120 dockets. We need to solve all these cases because families need answers and closure.”
KwaZulu-Natal police head Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi praised the Political Killings Task Team and the National Prosecuting Authority.
“The resilience of the task team members and the National Prosecuting Authority whose relentless efforts in solving political killings related cases are bearing desired fruits,” he said.
Police say since July 2018 the task team has secured convictions of more than 130 people for murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
The two suspects appeared in the Howick Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 8 September 2025.
Pictured above: Crime scene.
Image source: File
