ANC councillor shot dead in Cape Town

African National Congress (ANC) councillor Luyanda Mbele has been shot and killed in Cape Town.

His cousin was also murdered in the same attack. Mbele was the ward councillor for Bloekombos. ANC Caucus leader in the Metro council, Xolani Sotashe, says the murder took place Sunday night, but they are still unclear what happened.

Last week an ANC councillor in ward 88, Sbu Maphumulo was shot dead in Umlazi south of Durban. The ANC said he was on his way home from an engagement with other party members when they were ambushed.

“We have not established exactly what happened, but we believe our ward councillor was gunned down. We will be getting more details this morning. We are really concerned because it seems to me that every time we go to elections funny things happen. And we are very concerned, but we don’t want to speculate now,” says Cape Town ANC caucus leader, Xolani Sotashe.

Sotashe says Mbele, who was in his late forties, became a councillor after winning a by-election.

“He concluded that term after councillor Mbisi left and joined the DA. He came in and he did a sterling job and then he went on to participate in the 2016 LGE and he was re-elected as a ward councillor. So he was actually doing now his first full term,” adds Sotashe.