Johannesburg – The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Water and Sanitation, China Dodovu, has condemned the continuous killing of councillors in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Dodovu says the political killings in KZN have long reached crisis proportions and have appealed for a multifaceted approach to combat these killings.
This comes after the recent murders of Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) councillor Reginald Ndima, and African National Congress (ANC) eThekwini councillor, Minenhle Mkhize.
Ndima was ambushed and killed by unknown gunmen at the gate of his Newcastle home on Saturday.
On the other hand, Mkhize was gunned down last month, also by unknown gunmen, outside his home in Cliffdale.
“The continued killing of councillors, with the recent murder of Councillor Minenhle Mkhize and Councillor Reginald Ndima, is unacceptable. Furthermore, the inability of the law enforcement agencies to prosecute the perpetrators and masterminds behind the murders encourages them to continue to commit these heinous acts,” Said Dodovu in a statement.
Furthermore, Dodovu said the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators and instigators are the first step in the fight against the killings, the South African Police Service must strengthen its intelligence-gathering apparatus in order to detect the planned killings before they happen.
He added that the Moerane Commission, which was formed in 2016 to probe political killings in the province, heard evidence that some of the murders were related to the concealing of corruption and misconduct in the local government sector.
“It is for this reason that the fight against corruption should be strengthened and heightened. Society should invest its energies in exposing corruption to ensure that corrupt elements who have the temerity to kill in the sector are removed.
“There is also a need for effective political education to end the deepening culture of intolerance, violence, and killings in KZN. This worrying culture of violence requires continuous and concerted effort to end it. It is unacceptable that people are killed with such impunity,” Dodovu explained.
Dodovu has also extended, on behalf of the committee, heartfelt condolences to the Mkhize and Ndima families.
“May their souls rest in eternal peace,” he said.
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