According to Premier Thami Ntuli, 18 councillors have been assassinated in KZN since 2021.
IFP members display the party flag. Picture: IFP
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) said it is shocked and deeply angered by the “cold-blooded” murder of its PR councillor in the King Cetshwayo District of KwaZulu-Natal.
In a statement on Wednesday, the party’s spokesperson, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, said councillor Khethelo Mdluli was shot several times outside his home in oPhindweni, Gingindlovu, last Thursday.
He succumbed to his injuries and died in hospital on Monday. He was 40 years old at the time of his death and a councillor candidate for his party in the uMlalazi Local Municipality.
“The IFP unequivocally condemns this barbaric and senseless killing in the strongest possible terms. There can be no justification whatsoever for the taking of a human life, and there can be no place in our democracy for political violence, intimidation or the assassination of those who have chosen to serve their communities,” said Hlengwa.
Is there a political connection?
Hlengwa said the circumstances surrounding Mdluli’s killing are disturbing.
“He was a serving public representative and a candidate in the upcoming Local Government Elections. His murder therefore strikes not only at his family and community, but at the very foundations of our constitutional democracy and the right of every South African to participate freely and safely in the political process,” he said.
Hlengwa said political violence must never be allowed to become a “weapon” against those wishing to stand up for their communities.
“No councillor, political candidate, activist, community leader, public servant or ordinary citizen should have to fear for their life because they have chosen to serve their community or exercise their democratic rights,” he said.
Police investigation
The party has called on police to treat Mdluli’s case with the highest level of urgency and priority.
“We demand a thorough, professional and uncompromising investigation into this murder, and call for every necessary policing resource to be mobilised to identify, arrest and bring all those responsible to justice.
“We further call on the relevant law enforcement authorities to investigate every possible motive and angle behind this killing, including any possibility that it may be politically motivated.”
Hlengwa said the IFP would not allow the murder of a dedicated public representative to be reduced to another statistic.
“Those responsible must face the full might of the law. Cllr Mdluli was elected in 2021 and served his community with commitment, humility and dedication. He was a servant of the people who devoted himself to the interests of his community. His life and service have now been brutally cut short, leaving a grieving family and a community deprived of a leader,” he said.
Political intolerance in KZN
Political leaders appear increasingly concerned about violence linked to the upcoming elections in KwaZulu-Natal.
On Monday, IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa told the media that several party volunteers were violently assaulted in Ezingolweni, KwaNyuswa area, Ward 34, on Sunday.
“The incident occurred when IFP volunteers, accompanied by the IFP ward candidate, were putting up party posters in the area. They were confronted by individuals who allegedly told them that they did not want the IFP to campaign in their area,” said Hlabisa.
In a recent address to his ground forces, EFF leader Julius Malema also spoke out against so-called “no-go-areas” in KZN.
“There is no one that will stop me here, not even the IFP can stop me… I can never be intimidated by small boys and small girls. If they want to know who I am, they must ask Donald Trump,” he said.
Last month, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli revealed that at least 18 councillors have been assassinated in the province since the 2021 local government elections.
Meanwhile, the IEC has briefed parliament about its preparations for the 4 November polls, including safety concerns in certain areas.
