Political assasinations and the "party"

**curious george** · 25-07-2018, 20:22

https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...illor-20180725

**curious george** · 12-10-2018, 08:38

He denies this.

https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...house-20181010

2018-10-10 09:49 Clive Ndou

The task team investigating political killings in KwaZulu-Natal has swooped on the Willowfountain home of Minister Zweli Mkhize.

The operation formed part of an investigation into the role of private security companies in political assassinations, and a security guard at Mkhize’s home is believed to have been arrested and illegal firearms confiscated.

A neighbour said police “came in a convoy, it was about 10 vehicles. They had a brief chat with the security guards before they went inside the home.”

A source close to the task team’s investigation confirmed the raid, which is said to have taken place on September 28 but has been kept under wraps.

The source said: “I was told that a suspect had been arrested and illegal firearms were confiscated. The minister was not at home when members of the task team arrived but some of his family members were at home.

“What I was told is that the target of the police raid was not the minister per se but rather the security company that is guarding his house.”

Mkhize, a former KZN premier and now minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, disputed that the investigators’ visit to his home amounted to a raid.

“The police did not raid the house as such but approached security,” Mkhize’s spokesperson, Musa Zondi, said. “The police came to the residence and the information that Minister Mkhize received is that they are investigating private security companies. They questioned the guy at the residence deployed by the private security company. The minister has directed all to co-operate with the police,” he said.

Mkhize encouraged members of the task team to do whatever was necessary to address the problem of political killings in the province.

“The issue of killings in the province is serious and needs to be dealt with and he fully supports anything that the police are doing to arrest the scourge,” Zondi said.

The task team, which was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa in June following a spate of political killings in the province, has made a series of arrests in recent weeks.
According to Police Minister Bheki Cele, the number of people arrested in connection with the political killings that had been taking place in the province since 2012 stood at 23 by September 13. The investigators have also raided the home of uMgungundlovu deputy mayor Fucwana Zungu, in KwaPata near Imbali.

The Pietermaritzburg home of Education MEC Mthandeni Dlungwane is also said to have been raided by the task team. The raids follow the release of the Moerane Commission report into political killings in the province by KZN Premier Willies Mchunu late last month.
The bulky report, which includes statements by witnesses who testified at the commission early this year, blames the assassination of about 100 people in the province on the fight for municipal tenders and jobs.

High-profile people assassinated in the province include former ANCYL secretary-general and Mzimkhulu Municipality councillor Sindiso Magaqa and ANC Pietermaritzburg activist Musawenkosi “Maqatha” Mchunu, who was gunned down on the driveway of his KwaPata home in May.

Two people have been arrested in connection with Magaqa’s murder while six accused, including Zungu’s son, Gift, and her nephew, Nkosinathi Gambu, will appear in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court tomorrow in connection with Mchunu’s murder.
While Zungu has confirmed the raids at her home in KwaPata, Dlungwane did not respond to queries on the raids.

National police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo declined to comment on the raids, saying the task team’s investigation was at a sensitive stage.

Former KZN premier Senzo Mchunu said the commission’s report drew a clear link between internal party conflicts and political killings in the province.
“It demonstrates high levels of intolerance where individuals are prepared to kill those they differ with,” he said.

**curious george** · 23-10-2018, 17:52

https://www.iafrica.com/whistleblowe...ject-murdered/

As the North Gauteng High Court hears the DA’s application for the review of Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s report on the Vrede dairy farm project on Tuesday, it has emerged that one of the whistleblowers in the project has been murdered.

The body of Philemon Ngwenya, 53, of Thembalihle near Vrede, was found in his shack at Knelvlei Farm, outside Vrede, on Friday, police spokesperson Sergeant Mmako Mophiring said in a statement on Monday.

“It is alleged that on the said day, a passer-by saw the bakkie of [the] deceased parked in the veld, not far from his shack.

“He tried to call his cellphone but it was on voicemail and he informed his family.

“Family members went to the farm where, on their arrival, [they] found his brutally battered body inside the shack. They reported the incident to the police at about 20:30 and a case of murder was registered,” the statement read.

‘Not murdered at home’

eNCA reported that Ngwenya had been stabbed with a sharp object and wasn’t murdered at home, quoting an unnamed source.

He was reportedly wrapped in blankets and then moved onto his bed to make it appear as if he was asleep.

In her report, Mkhwebane found procurement irregularities, “gross negligence” and maladministration related to the controversial project.

Among other findings, Mkhwebane found that the agreement between the Free State Department of Agriculture and Estina, the Gupta-linked company that executed the project, seemed to have been invalid.

According to a statement by the DA, Ngwenya was outspoken about the “dubious” farm deal.

‘Beneficiaries were bitter’

“In a news report in August this year, he admitted that beneficiaries were ‘bitter’ and that he ‘didn’t even get R2 from them (those who ran the project)’.

“Recently, there were recordings distributed of a person in Vrede calling for all the beneficiaries to be killed. The recording was forwarded to the police,” DA spokesperson Patricia Kopane said.

According to Kopane, Moses Tshake – an auditor in the Free State Department of Agriculture – was kidnapped, tortured and killed after allegedly questioning payments linked to the controversial farm project in 2013.

“The motive behind the killing is not yet known and anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of the suspect(s) should please contact Vrede police,” the police’s Mophiring said

CK · 23-10-2018, 18:37

You cant make this stuff up.

**Dick** · 28-10-2018, 22:17

I recommend "Hitmen for Hire" by Mark Shaw. It is a detailed study of contract killing in SA. Contract killing has become a regular tool, not only in politics but in commerce as well. It is well entrenched and it is a serious threat to our society. Like so much else.

**curious george** · 30-10-2018, 20:42

All the Soros funded guys have provided the solutions, we can all sleep safely tonight.

http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.ph...nce&Itemid=118

**curious george** · 30-11-2018, 21:30

https://www.rnews.co.za/article/2283...-mayor-at-cala

The African National Congress (ANC) in the Eastern Cape on Friday said that it is extremely shocked at the brutal assassination of one of its councillors and the Chief Whip at the Sakhisizwe Municipality, in the Chris Hani Region.

"Comrade Thanduxolo Nobhongoza, 45, was shot dead whilst walking in one of the townships at Cala on Thursday," said Lulama Ngcukayitobi, ANC Eastern Cape Provincial Secretary.

"Comrade Tebla grew up in the youth movement within the ranks of the ANC in Cala and grew in stature to also serve in the PEC of the ANC YL.

"He served the ANC structures well including various deployments, one being a Mayor of Cala Municipality and also served as a Manager responsible for Community Services. He was killed whilst serving as a Chief Whip of the ANC in Sakhisizwe Local Municipality."

Ngcukayitobi said that the ANC in the Eastern Cape is still reeling from shock and "very devastated by this untimely death of a hard working cadre - forthright and uncompromising person".ANC urges Eastern Cape police to urgently find Thanduxolo Nobhongoza's killers

"How we would have wished that police hunt and track down the criminal syndicate - blood thirsty vampires who would stop at nothing to pursue their ill intended activities and mission," he added.

"Our minds and hearts are with his wife, family and the entire community of Sakhisizwe, which is still as shocked as we are with the passing of this special cadre of our movement."We request that all and sundry should respect the family in their time of bereavement , and to allow the law enforcement agencies time and space to get to the bottom of this heinous crime.

"We will treat this time period with the sensitivity it demands and allow for law enforcement agencies the space to perform their work without interference."

Ngcukayitobi said that the ANC is calling on the people of Sakhisizwe and those, who have seen perpetrators of this heinous act to assist police investigation, so that perpetrators can be apprehended as a matter of great urgency.

On Friday, Eastern Cape police announced that they had assembled a team of seasoned detectives to track down Nobhongoza's killers.

**curious george** · 29-12-2018, 13:32

Political analyst Protas Madlala says the ANC should look within itself to find answers about the killing of its members.

During the Moerane Commission, he said, almost all political parties had testified that the political killings in the province were due to internal party conflicts.

He said the ANC should reconsider how leaders were placed in positions, and pay special attention to the allocation of tenders, saying these were the conflicts that led to the killing of ANC leaders.

Madlala was commenting shortly after the court appearance of uMlazi ANC councillor Mthokozisi Nojiyeza, one of the three accused in the murder of another ANC councillor, Sibusiso Bhabhane Maphumulo, who was gunned down near his home in uMlazi on October 18.

Nojiyeza, his brother Phumlani Nojiyeza, and Nkosinathi Mbambo are all facing charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

“The ANC should not look outside, because the problem is within the party. They should not blame anyone but themselves. The question we should be asking is why this is not happening in the DA.

“It is only happening within the ruling party.

“The answer is there for everyone to see. The people killed all had one common denominator: they were all against corruption,” said Madlala.

ANC spokesperson Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu said the party members who came to court were not against each other, but came to support the Maphumulo family as the victims.
She appealed to party members to leave the matter to be resolved by the court.

“We appreciate the work of the police so far. We have been calling for the police to make arrests. We respect the processes of the law and that people are innocent until proven guilty,” she said.

Maphumulo was in his car after a meeting in the township’s V-section when another car parked next to him and the occupants opened fire.

Mthokozisi Nojiyeza’s lawyer, advocate Simphiwe Mlotshwa, told the court that he wanted his client to be granted bail.

He said Nojiyeza was a trusted person, had handed in his passport and declared an alternative residential address.

He added that Nojiyeza needed to get medical attention after he was allegedly assaulted by the police during his arrest.

Prosecutor Tiyani Mabasa said the investigating officer had not verified the men’s home addresses and, as they faced a serious case of murder, their addresses needed to be verified before the processes of a formal bail application.

Advocate Sphamandla Ngcobo, the lawyer representing Phumlani, and Asanda Luthango, representing Mbambo, said they were not ready to make their bail applications.

The matter was adjourned to January 3 and 4 and they were all remanded.

Phumzile Maphumulo, the slain councillor’s sister, said she was still shocked at the arrest of Nojiyeza, who was her brother’s best friend.

“We were disappointed to discover that the accused were my brother’s friends.
“They know everything about our family, including the fact that we are orphans. We thank Police Minister Bheki Cele for the arrests,” she said.

https://www.iafrica.com/political-an...ical-killings/

**curious george** · 04-01-2019, 18:44

*loose ends n all

https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-afr...-dead-18666222

Durban – A Msunduzi Municipality (Pietermaritzburg) bodyguard who was being investigated for possible links to political killings in KwaZulu-Natal was shot dead at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

One of KwaZulu-Natal’s police spokespersons, Colonel Thembeka Mbhele, told African News Agency (ANA) on Wednesday that “at about 12.01am” Jabulani Mngoma, 34, was gunned down outside his home in a township near Pietermaritzburg

“On 1 January 2019…a 34-year-old male was at his home in Smero location (Edendale) when an unknown male fired gunshots at him and fled. He was taken to hospital where he later died. A case of murder was opened at the Plessislaer police station for investigation,” said Mbhele.

She said the motive for the killing was unclear and that family and friends witnessed the shooting, which took place while fireworks displays lit up the night sky.

“At this stage, the shooting has not been transferred to the special task team until further investigations have been done,” said Mbhele.

Mngoma was the bodyguard to Msunduzi Municipality speaker, Jabu Ngubo.

In October last year, ANA reported that Mngoma was released on warning by the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court after being arrested days earlier in connection with the murder of African National Congress (ANC) ward 12 branch chairperson Nathi Hlongwa, who was killed in June 2016.

Mngoma was arrested by members of the South African Police Service’s special task team, which was assembled by Police Minister Bheki Cele to probe politically motivated killings in the province.

Hlongwa died in a hail of bullets at his home in Imbali Township, just weeks after another branch member, who also served as Mpofana Municipality chief financial officer, Simo Mncwabe, was killed in an apparent ambush. Mncwabe and Mngoma were half-brothers.
Another of Mngoma’s half-brothers, Mhlabunzima Bruce Mngoma, was shot and killed in Caluza in 2017. While off-duty at the time, he also worked as a bodyguard for speaker Ngubo.

Ngubo told ANA on Wednesday that Jabulani Mngoma had worked as her protector for five years, first when she was on the executive committee of the council and then from when she took office as speaker in 2016.

“He leaves behind a mother, sister, brothers, one child and the children of his late brothers who he was looking after,” said Ngubo.

“We can’t yet speculate as to the reason for the killing. He was off-duty at the time enjoying the festivities like all of us.”

She said while the council was not involved in the funeral preparations, she was in direct contact with the family.

A memorial service would be held at Caluza Hall outside Pietermaritzburg on Friday starting at 3 pm, said Ngubo. The funeral would take place on Saturday.

African News Agency (ANA)