Multi-million rand Mpumalanga mining deal: Middelburg businessman assassinated
Before his death Mashoza Malaza alleged that businessmen with political ties were linked to previous attacks on him and his family.
A businessman who survived a previous attempt on his life in Belfast was assassinated in Mhluzi, Middelburg on Sunday.
Mashoza Malaza is the latest victim of violent attacks on businessmen amid fierce competition for mining contracts in Mpumalanga.
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He was gunned down in full view of a crowd on Sunday evening in Phumula, Mhluzi, at around 22:10.
According to the Mpumalanga police, Malaza was shot seven times, and 11 cartridges from a 9mm handgun were found on the scene.
His attackers are still at large.
Malaza was born in Siyathuthuka, Belfast, but moved to Middelburg with his wife and children.
He operated a business in Belfast, UMI Plant Hire, which won a bid with Exxaro in 2021.
Since then, Malaza faced assassination threats, believed to be linked to his lucrative mining contract.
Read more: Businessman relocated to place of safety after two attempts on his life
In February 2023, he was ambushed by a hitman using an R1-automatic rifle while he was driving out of his driveway with his daughters in Belfast.
He was shot through his car windscreen and sustained severe injuries, losing his eyesight temporarily and having to undergo multiple surgeries.
While in hospital, his home in Siyathuthuka was bombed with mining explosives. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
During an exclusive interview with the Middelburg Observer in 2023, while in hiding, Malaza revealed that he suspected that a syndicate, including businessmen with political ties who allegedly stand to benefit from his death, orchestrated the attacks.
He showed the journalist leaked cellphone messages that revealed high-ranking individuals were allegedly involved in the assassination plots.
Sadly, after numerous threats to his life, no one was held accountable.
His attack was not the only one in Belfast. In 2020 Malaza’s brother, Innocent, and his friend Sifiso Sindane, also a businessman, were attacked by unknown men.
Malaza’s family told the Middelburg Observer they are not ready to speak to the media yet.
Read original story on www.citizen.co.za
