Police Minister, Bheki Cele says a task team has been set up to deal with political killings ahead of the May 29 general elections. He was speaking at the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster media briefing in Pretoria on Sunday.
Two ward councillors have recently been murdered, one in Mpumalanga and the other in Rustenburg in the North West.
Cele says the police are making great strides.
“There have been special teams, that have been put in place to deal with that. I think in Mpumalanga there is progress that has been made to chase those people that have killed those councillors. We are also working hard with communities to prevent this from happening.”
[Statement] The 2024 General Elections are said to be the most contested in the history of this country.
Ensuring the safety and security of all voters and officials are of paramount importance. #SAelections24
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Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster briefs the media:
Meanwhile, the family of a slain ANC councillor in the Rustenburg local municipality in the North West say there has been threats on her life. 54-year-old Poppy Morapedi was gunned down outside her home in Photsaneng village outside Rustenburg on Friday.
The police say Morapedi and her niece were walking home from a shop when four unknown men followed them. The suspects then fired shots and fled in a vehicle.
“We are very hurt as the family, because our child was killed right next to this gate, when she was returning home. The alleged killer was hiding behind this tree. Some said there has been threats made against her. Our child was brutally killed with a gun,” says the family spokesperson Abram Morapedi.
ANC councillor gunned down outside her home in Rustenburg:
–Additional Reporting Thabiso Moss
