Speaker shooting: MEC condemns brutal murder

The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Nomusa Dube-Ncube has expressed deep shock and condemnation at the brutal murder of Nquthu Speaker, Vusi Ntombela.

The Speaker was shot three times while he was teaching at Luvisi Primary School.

Two learners were also injured in the shooting, with one tragically succumbing to injuries in hospital.

The other learner is still undergoing treatment.

In her statement, MEC Dube-Ncube said that, “the death of a councillor who is an elected servant of the people leaves a gaping void in the sphere of local government and has robbed us of one more foot soldier in our fight against poverty, inequality and unemployment.”

“On behalf of all stakeholders in the provincial government and the entire local governance fraternity, we extend heartfelt condolences to the grieving family, the wider community of Nquthu, as well as the ANC which is a political organisation – from which the murdered councillor hailed”.

“It is incidents such as this heinous crime that remind us that crime and  violence remains a grave challenge in our communities and  that as society we need to galvanise each other’s strength to isolate the criminal elements that threaten social cohesion and harmony in our communities.”

“We do not know the cause and the motive. We are, however, worried that the killing of councillors is becoming a disturbing trend, noting that it is not happening for the first time. If this cowardly use of violence was carried out with the intention to subvert the will of the people, it will not succeed.”

It is understood that three people have since been arrested, including the gunman and the driver of the getaway vehicle.