Murder of COGTA official following death of child in car crash rocks Msinga
"Equally, we strongly condemn the acts of violence and taking of law into their own hands. We encourage members of the public to work with the police in identifying all those involve behind this tragic incident” said MEC Dube-Ncube.
A double tragedy in Msinga has claimed the life of a school child and that of an official of the KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta).
Lennox Mabaso, Cogta spokesman, said two staff members – a man and a woman – were travelling in the Ngome area of Msinga on Friday while on official business and were involved in a car crash that claimed the life of a school child. Details of the child’s gender or how the accident occurred were not provided to the press.
The officials stopped their vehicle and while still in shock and attempting to seek assistance, an unknown number of gunmen approached them and threatened them with violence. The male Cogta official fled the scene, escaping a hail of bullets fired at him while his woman colleague, trapped in the vehicle, was shot dead on the scene.
Police are still investigating and no arrests have been made.
“It is with a heavy heart that we express our condolences to the family of the child that was killed during a road accident involving our departmental vehicle. In the same breath, we condemn the murder of one of our staff members following this accident,” said KZN MEC for Cogta Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
“Words cannot describe how one feels when one thinks of the loss endured by those who have just lost a child to an accident. But words also fail one to fathom that another person could be murdered in retaliation. This is a horrible tragedy, the death of a child is sad and very disturbing news to all of us, it is also deeply hurting that a defenceless woman was brutally murdered in what appears to be an act of retaliation. We send our heartfelt condolences to all the affected families who have lost their relatives in this tragic situation.
“Equally, we strongly condemn the acts of violence and taking of law into their own hands. We encourage members of the public to work with the police in identifying all those involve behind this tragic incident” said MEC Dube-Ncube.
