Lungani Zungu
Police Minister Bheki Cele praised the task team probing political killings in KZN on Wednesday, but people are not sure what the praise is for.
Despite Cele’s glowing words there are many unsolved political-related murder cases in the province.
These include:
- Former ANC youth league secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa’s murder case has yet to be finalised, five years after he was gunned down.
- ANCYL member Wandile Ngobeni was shot dead in 2019.
- The murder case of IFP member, Sibuyiselo Dlamini, has yet to be finalised.
- ANC Umlazi ward councillor Sibusiso Maphumulo was killed in 2018.
- ANC councillor in Mtubatuba Philip Mkhwanazi was shot last year.
- ANC youth league branch secretary in Hammarsdale Kingdom Gcabashe was shot dead at a friend’s house last year.
Reacting to Cele’s sentiments, Sindiso Magaqa’s widow Gugu, said she had lost faith in the law-enforcement agencies and the judicial system.
“We have waited for more than five years for the killers of my husband to be sentenced, but nothing has happened,” she said.
“It opens old wounds for our family when we hear politicians talking about his death.”
Gugu believed Magaqa was killed for his stand against corruption in Umzimkhulu.
Magaqa’s killing came after he exposed corruption during the facelift of the Memorial Hall in Umzimkhulu.
As long ago as 2017, activist Thabiso Zulu said before the Moerane commission: “If police make an arrest in the Sindiso Magaqa case I’ll show you a flying pig.” While suspects have been arrested, to this day Zulu has not been forced to produce the flying pig.
Magaqa’s longtime close ally and ANC member Les Stuta said there is strong evidence that the people who are arrested are scapegoats and cover-ups for the real people who killed Magaqa.
Cele said he was concerned about police involvement in politically motivated killings after six cops were nabbed for their alleged links in political killings.
There have been more than 90 political killings reported in KZN since 2016.
Cele said the political killings spiked during election years like this year, with local government elections set to happen on 27 October.
The jostling for councillor and mayoral positions were cited as the trigger of the killings.
Magaqa’s case will go back to the Umzimkhulu Magistrate’s Court on 19 July, while the murder case of ANC ward councillor in Pietermaritzburg Qashana Mchunu returns to court on 26 July.
Image source: @bhekicele_rsa
