A National Freedom Party (NFP) councillor from the hotly contested Nongoma local municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal has been shot dead.
Councillor Ntombenhle Mchunu, who served as an executive committee member in the council, was killed on Sunday morning.
BREAKING NEWS: A Councillor of the National Freedom Party in the hotly contested Nongoma local municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal has been shot dead. Ntombenhle Mchunu was killed this morning. @IOL pic.twitter.com/HfbsmgidVH
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) July 30, 2023
It is believed that Mchunu was sleeping at her Nongoma home when gunmen broke in and fired several shots, killing her instantly before fleeing the scene.
Her death comes after another NFP councillor in the same municipality, Nonhlanhla Zungu, opened a case of attempted murder and assault with the police after she was attacked just as she returned from hiding after receiving death threats.
Secretary-General of the NFP, Canaan Mdletshe, confirmed Mchunu’s killing and said the police had to step up their effort to turn the tide against the continous killing of the councillors.
"We are extremely hurt by the attack. It is hitting us badly because the signs have been there.
“Since the NFP-ANC-EFF block took over the reigns in Nongoma, there have been threats made by senior leaders of a certain political party as well as individuals.
"We want anyone who may have made threats to be arrested, including leaders of a certain political party. We want the person who made a voice note, threatening that they "will get back their municipality" to be arrested,” Mdletshe said.
He indicated that it is unacceptable that it has become a norm for councillors of Nongoma to live in fear that they may be killed at any time.
"It cannot be acceptable that councillors in kwaNongoma are constantly living in fear for just accepting to serve the people.
"We are for a specialized team of police officers to be deployed in the area of Nongoma so that these killings can be stopped once and for all,” Mdletshe said.
Mchunu is the third councillor to be killed in KwaZulu-Natal since June this year.
On June 27 this year, IOL reported about the killing of pastor John Myaka, a PR councillor of the ACDP (African Christian Democratic Party) in the City of Umhlathuze (Richards Bay-Empangeni).
Myaka was gunned down while at the pulpit, by two armed men who entered the church which is in the eNseleni township, near Richards Bay.
On July 3, a popular councillor of the Inkatha Freedom Party in the Mtubatuba local municipality, another hotly contested municipality, was shot dead.
Innocent “Killer” Mkhwanazi was killed in a hail of bullets after he was ambushed while driving around the northern KwaZulu-Natal town of Mtubatuba.
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