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Police Minister satisfied with progress in probing ANC Councillor Tshepo Motaung’s murder

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Police say they are following up on crucial leads in the murder investigation of African National Congress (ANC) Councillor, Tshepo Motaung. The 46-year-old was shot multiple times in Mabopane, north of Pretoria, last Friday.

Motaung was on his way home from an ANC meeting in the area when his vehicle came under attack.

He was with his uncle and another relative.

Motaung is the fourth ANC Councillor who died in a hail of bullets in Tshwane since 2018.

Community members are demanding answers after the death: 

But police are yet to make arrests.

According to law enforcement officers, the father of two was shot 20 times, execution-style by a group of armed attackers.

Prior to the onslaught, he spent the day at an ANC meeting that discussed the party’s candidate list for the upcoming local government elections.

Police Minister Bheki Ceki says they will soon track down the perpetrators.

“But getting the briefing this morning from the team that is dealing with this case, I’m very satisfied that we are making progress. We have the names and faces of the people we want. Soon everybody will know why that happened. Our job is not to pass condolences but to bring those people to book.”

Cele and Gauteng Premier David Makhura visited the family of the slain councillor. Angry community members called for justice to prevail.

Makhura said some ANC councillors are being killed and others live in fear.

“I have received significant concerns that it is not only the councillors that are not feeling safe, but even the community also is not feeling safe. They’re threatened by these criminal gangs. These criminals are going around disrupting meetings and that’s what they really are. We are working with the police to make sure we are bringing the perpetrators to book.”

Motaung’s grieving mother, Mpu Motaung said the killers have taken away her breadwinner.

She says her son died a painful death.

“My heart is so painful because they killed my son – someone who was giving me food. So, who will put the plate on the table? I want justice; that’s all.”

Sanco in the Tshwane region believes Motaung’s murder is politically motivated.

“What we are saying as Sanco, the killing of councillors is in the whole of Tshwane. These gangsters are making sure they’re capturing the whole of Tshwane and make sure they kill councillors. They want projects by force or they will kill you. So, we are appealing to the government to make sure that the organised crime is permanently here to clean up this thuggery. Because these thugs do as they wish and they want to run the government with a barrel of a gun,” says Sanco’s Regional Chairperson, Abram Mashisi.

Two other councillors have reportedly been in hiding since Motaung’s murder.

Motaung was a nominated candidate to represent the ANC in the 1 November elections.

UPDATE | Cele, Makhura visit home of slain Tshwane Ward 22 councillor Tshepo Motaung:

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