The Democratic Alliance (DA), National Freedom Party (NFP), and African National Congress (ANC) councillors in the Zululand District Municipality say they fear for their lives after the municipality withdrew their security.
A request by some of the councillors has also been denied after the police’s threat assessment report said they were not under threat.
At least 17 councillors have been murdered in KwaZulu-Natal since September 2022.
ANC, DA, and NFP councillors in the Zululand District Municipality say their lives are in danger.
DA’s Swelakhe Shelembe says last year he survived an ambush, while this year his bodyguard sustained gunshot wounds and is recovering at home. He says he was surprised when the municipality informed him that his security was going to be withdrawn.
“Suddenly, I’m now getting a letter from the municipality saying that my security has been withdrawn without reasons, or what transpired or what informed the MM to take that decision. I think that decision is irrational unless the MM can provide me with proof for taking such a decision. I’m fearing for my life, and I think it is my last time attending the meeting in Zululand without security.”
While NFP’s Sphamandla Ntombela has accused the IFP-led district municipality of only prioritising the safety of IFP councillors. He says several requests from councillors of other parties have been rejected by the municipality.
“The problem is in this council, where you find that only IFP councillors are provided with security, which means their lives are the only ones that matter. I do not even stay at home anymore because of the danger that I am confronted with.”
Meanwhile, the Zululand District Municipality says it withdrew security from some of the councillors after receiving their individual Threat Analysis reports, indicating that they were not under threat.
Municipal Mayor Thulasizwe Buthelezi says by law, only councillors deemed to be under threat based on a police report, should be provided with security.
“We are very concerned about the brutal killing of councillors, which is happening throughout KZN, but be that as it may, we need to comply with the law. And the law says that a threat analysis needs to be done on DA councillor Shelembe. We have been providing security to him for the past 16 months for half a million rand, and the police have concluded that there is no threat against him. And all councillors that have had their security withdrawn or that have not been provided with security, similarly, are based on the police assessment.”
Opposition parties in the Zululand district say they will approach the MEC for Cooperative Governance in the province and Police Minister Bheki Cele for their intervention.
