A councillor of the ANC in the City of Umhlathuze (Richards Bay-Empangeni) in northern KwaZulu-Natal has survived an assassination attempt.
Lindo Ndlovu of Ward 13 (Mpembeni) was shot on Thursday night (around 8 pm) while driving from his home.
He survived the incident, but his car was riddled with bullets in the politically-volatile area.
A shaken Ndlovu told IOL on Friday morning that it all started just after he dropped his children at home and had to go somewhere.
He said while driving out, there was a group of men who appeared to be drunk. One of them was down and out in the middle of the road.
“I then slowed down as I was thinking that there was a problem with the man sleeping on the road, it was when one of the men pulled out a gun and started shooting at my car.
“I managed to speed off and survived, but the car was shot at,” Ndlovu said.
He then opened a case with SAPS in the township of Esikhawini.
Spokesperson for the police in KwaZulu-Natal, Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed the attempted hit on Ndlovu.
"Police are investigating a case of attempted murder following an incident that occurred at Mabuyeni Reserve on July 13. It is alleged that the 30-year-old man was driving to his house when he noticed a suspicious man lying in the middle of the road. Another suspect then came out from the fence and started shooting at the victim’s car. Reports indicate that the victim was not injured and only the windows were pierced with bullets," he told IOL.
The attempted hit on Ndlovu comes after the recent killing (June 27) of John Myaka, a councillor of the ACDP (African Christian Democratic Party) in the same municipality.
Myaka, who was also a pastor, was gunned down while at the pulpit. He was shot by two armed men who entered the church in the Enseleni township, near Richards Bay.
A week later, a councillor of the IFP (Inkatha Freedom Party), Innocent “Killer” Mkhwanazi was gunned down in Mtubatuba after being cornered by heavily armed gunmen.
According to the chairperson of the South African Local Government Association (Salga) in KwaZulu-Natal, Thami Ntuli, in the past 10 months, 17 councillors have been killed in the province.
Ntuli said as a result of this, councillors are living in fear, which is delaying service delivery in communities, as councillors limit their movements.
The Mayor of the City of Umhlathuze, Xolani Ngwezi said police must work overtime to ensure that the people who attempted to kill Ndlovu are brought to book.
In the interim, Ngwezi asked the Speaker of the Council, Tobias Gumede and the City Manager, Nkosenye Zulu to make arrangements to provide Ndlovu with bodyguards as his life is evidently under threat.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
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