Ministerial Committee to look into KZN political killings

The ANC president Cyril Ramphosa has set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee of Ministers in the Security cluster to probe the latest incidents of violence in KwaZulu-Natal.

Ramaphosa announced this while addressing ANC supporters in Edendale, Pietermaritzburg, where he had visited the family of the slain ANC convenor in the Moses Mabhida region, Musawenkosi Mchunu.

Mchunu was killed on Friday night. His death has sparked renewed fears of further attacks of ANC members.

Outside Mchunu’s house, the top six officials were met by angry supporters, calling for amongst other things, a postponement of the regional conferences saying the province remains in a volatile situation.

Three ANC activists killed in three weeks -the attacks have shaken the province.

First meeting with the leadership with the Moses Mabhida region, a region plagued by internal squabbles that have resulted in bloodshed.

President Ramaphosa vowed to take action. He says the Ministerial Task Team will report to him next Monday. Ramaphosa will later on Monday meet with the provincial task team.

“An immediate investigation must happen. They must be immediately arrested and brought to justice. ANC must be united, ANC must be effective, ANC must be strong and we will make sure this death is investigated thoroughly until those who are responsible for the death of our beloved comrade are found.”

The leadership also met with the Provincial Task Team and regional structures.

Three weeks ago, the NEC gave the go-ahead for regional and provincial conferences to proceed, despite some party members in KZN objecting.

Senior leaders say the incidents are worrying and pose a threat to the stability of the province.

ANC NEC member Zizi Kodwa says, ” To what extent these killings are linked to the regional conferences is early o speculate. Law enforcement agencies are dealing with very complex situations about some of these lack of arrests and convictions of these killings which create more complex problems to those that we are already dealing with. But it’s early days to link any killing to a conference at the moment.”

Four regions held elective conferences this past weekend. The outcome of these meetings is expected to decide on the way forward.

Timeline of Political killings: 

Meanwhile,  ANC NEC member Edna Molewa says party conferences in KwaZulu-Natal including regional and a provincial conferences will continue as planned. This is despite growing calls by some party members to shelve conference at least after next year’s general election citing recent killings and alleged irregularities among the reasons. Molewa says the party is disturbed by the recent killings, but they think putting conferences on hold might exacerbate tension among party members.

In the latest killing in the province, the family of the late ANC Branch Treasurer in the Oshabeni area on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast Sfiso Cele, is struggling to come to terms with his murder. Intruders stormed into their home last week as Cele and his family were getting ready for the day. Family spokesperson Thulasizwe Msomi says Cele’s wife and children were forced into a bathroom as the men ransacked the house. Cele was taken to the bedroom and shot dead.