One of the bodyguards who bravely fought off the hitmen who wanted to kill Newcastle local municipality deputy mayor Musa Thwala has succumbed to his injuries.
Thwala’s personal protector was shot during an exchange of fire with the gunmen on Monday. KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Jay Naicker confirmed that the 36-year-old died on Tuesday morning.
“During the shootout with the suspects, the deceased sustained a gunshot wound to the head and [later] died in hospital. The motive for the attack is not yet known and police are investigating,” said Naicker.
It is alleged that the armed assassins were out on a mission to ambush Thwala at his Madadeni township home on Monday evening, but they were stopped in their tracks by the deputy mayor’s bodyguards.
Upon realising that their murder plan had been foiled, the hitmen are alleged to have opened fire at the bodyguards who retaliated, injuring one of the suspects.
Other assassins managed to flee.
Thwala is the leader of Team Sugar Party SA, a political party formed in the lead-up to the 2021 local government elections in November.
The party won seven seats and subsequently became a kingmaker. It later joined forces with the IFP to take control of the municipality that was previously under the ANC.
There has been several politically motivated killings since the winds of change blew over the Amajuba district, which cost the ANC and tilted the balance of power in various municipalities in the district.
Thwala, who chairs the municipal technical services committee, said he was being hunted down because his unit had uncovered fraud and corruption within its ranks. He added that the attempts at his life are aimed to silence him.
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