Johannesburg- With barely a week left before the 2021 municipal elections, National Freedom Party has called for the deployment of SANDF troops to monitor voting districts that are regarded as hotbeds for political violence.
The party which defected from the IFP was reacting in the aftermath of the brutal slaying of Dumisani Qwabe who was representing the party as ward 17 councillor candidate under the Nongoma local municipality, KZN heartland.
The killing of Qwabe is believed to be linked to the ongoing assassination of politicians in the province.
“Ward 17 is one of our strongest wards in the Zululand district. The killing of our candidate in this ward shocked us especially the brutality that the crime was committed. Our members are now afraid to campaign following this callous murder. The NFP continues to appeal for the deployment of SANDF and intelligence services to hotspot areas,” said NFP secretary, Canaan Mdletshe.
Qwabe was allegedly ambushed by gun-wielding assassins and shot to death before his vehicle was torched with him inside.
National Police spokesperson, Brigadier Vish Naidoo confirmed the incident but said it was not clear yet whether the deceased was indeed Qwabe because the occupant had been burnt to ashes.
“A case of murder was opened, and police are conducting investigations.”
The killing of Qwabe takes the number of councillor candidates who have died to three, under mysterious circumstances in KZN ahead of the highly contested elections.
To read more political news and views, click here.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
Sunday World
