Siyabonga Mkhize was gunned down on Friday in Cato Crest in Durban, he was an ANC candidate for ward 101 in the 1 November local government elections.
Mkhize was killed during a door-to-door campaign while he was with another person, who was also killed. Emer-G-Med said that the two men were found to have sustained multiple gunshot wounds and were declared dead when paramedics arrived.
Two people have been taken in for questioning in connection with the murders. Police Minister, Bheki Cele visited Mkhize’s family and later told the media that the police were looking at two suspects.
Speaking outside the Mkhize family’s home, Cele said: “The case has been taken from the local police station and has been handed over to the task team that is investigating political killings in the province. The team already has two people of interest in the case, these people are from this community. One of them, we are looking at very seriously as we believe that this person could lead us to the people that we want.”
Cele said that they believed that they would soon have concrete information on who might have been behind the killing and the motive.
This follows as another ward candidate was shot and killed in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday. EFF ward councilor candidate, Thulani Shangase was shot to death in Pietermaritzburg after leaving an EFF meeting to answer his phone.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said the motive for the killing was not clear and police were on the hunt for suspects. “We have mobilised the 72-hour activation plan which entails the mobilisation of specialised units such as Crime Intelligence, the KwaZulu-Natal political task team, detectives and Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation [the Hawks] to ensure that evidence, intelligence and information, which can help track and arrest those responsible, is gathered,” Naicker said in a statement.
Several seemingly politically motivated killings have recently occurred as the country prepares for the local government elections on 1 November.
Only last month, three women were gunned down during a drive-by shooting in Inanda after returning from an ANC committee meeting to finalize the selection of election candidates.
Meanwhile, ANC councillor Tshepo Motaung was shot 20 times while on his way home in Mabopane, Tshwane.
Motaung is said to be the third councillor to be killed in the area in recent times, according to police minsitry spokesperson Lirandzu Themba.
Sources: MSN, The Citizen
Follow FiND iT here.
ALSO READ: EFF candidate shot and killed in Pietermaritzburg
