The South African Police Services Provincial Organised Crime Unit is investigating the deaths of National Freedom Party (NFP) Okhahlamba Region chairperson Nkeni Mabaso, and former Umzimkhulu ANC branch secretary Nkosikhona Mxhakane.
They were both gunned down by unknown men over the weekend in separate incidents in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mxhakane, the ANC’s former branch secretary is the latest victim of alleged political violence in Umzimkhulu, south of KZN.
He was gunned down whilst allegedly fixing a light bulb in his veranda when he was approached by an unknown man who opened fire. He died instantly.
In a separate incident, the NFP’s Mabaso was killed by unknown occupants of a vehicle that was following him along Bethany Road in Bergville.
Mabaso was on his way from Bergville to a ward where the NFP will be hosting a regional event that he was organising.
The NFP has revealed that Mabaso’s family received threats before the incident and he often went into hiding.
Provincial NFP chairperson Vikizitha Mlotshwa has called on police heads to ask for assistance from the South African National Defence Force in order to deal with these killings, as the 2019 elections are getting closer.
“We request the intervention of the Minister to make it a point that SANDF must be placed throughout the hot spots in KwaZulu-Natal so that there will be a free election because if this thing is continuing definitely there will be no free and fair elections.”
No one has been arrested in both incidents.
Xhakane and Mabaso deaths brings the number of politically related killings in the province since to 2016 to 27.
