Pretoria - KwaZulu-Natal Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube has expressed deep shock and condemnation at the brutal murder of Nquthu local municipality speaker Councillor Vusi Ntombela.
“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,” said MEC Dube-Ncube.
KZN COGTA on Tuesday said Ntombela, who is also a teacher at Luvisi Primary School, was allegedly shot at point blank range while teaching - in full view of leaners - by unknown assailants.
The department said police reacted swiftly to arrest three of the suspects.
MEC Dube-Ncube extended her heartfelt condolences to Ntombela’s family on behalf of all stakeholders in the provincial government and the entire local governance fraternity.
She also extended the condolences to the community of Nquthu as well as the African National Congress (ANC) -- 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 galvanise each other’s strength to isolate the criminal elements that threaten social cohesion and harmony in our communities," said the MEC.
She said the cause and the motive are not known, and 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," she said.
KZN COGTA urged law enforcement agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of this violent incident are brought to justice, and that calm is restored in the community of Nquthu whose daily activities have been marred by this tragedy. - SAnews.gov.za
