Parliament in shock at arrest of mayor for alleged murder plot

Parliament’s select committee on security and justice has expressed shock at the arrest this week of KwaZulu-Natal’s Endumeni municipality mayor, Siboniso Mbatha, for allegedly plotting to have the municipal speaker murdered.

The committee noted the work of the province’s political task team in the arrest of Mbatha as well as the arrest of a councillor and a hitman, committee chairman Simphiwe Mtimunye said on Saturday.

“It is believed that the speaker accused the mayor of corruption and undue influence in the awarding of tenders. The committee does not expect such behaviour from South Africans. It is even worse when coming from elected public representatives. We condemn such criminality in the harshest possible terms. No one should be taking the law into their own hands. This speaks directly to the political killings that are currently on the increase in KwaZulu-Natal,” Mtimunye said.

The committee also welcomed the work of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the arrest of five suspects and the recovery of R4 million linked to cash-in-transit robberies.

The arrests came after weeks of cash-in-transit robberies and attempted robberies in Gauteng. Mtimunye noted that the arrests were the result of close collaboration between the police and the private sector, which saw the arrest of several employees of a cash-in-transit company.

“We commend the work of the police. This type of collaboration is what the country needs to ensure criminals are put behind bars as soon as possible. This should serve as a warning for criminals that there is no place to hide,” Mtimunye said.

The committee further welcomed the recent appointment of Godfrey Lebeya as the head of the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks). Mtimunye said the committee believed Lebeya had the correct skills set to lead the Hawks, as he had served the SAPS with excellence so far.

Lebeya takes over from acting Hawks head Yolisa Matakata. The committee also expressed its gratitude to Matakata for her hard work and dedication in this post over the past 18 months.

– African News Agency (ANA)