A senior Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillor was killed in a drive-by shooting in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday, reportedly as he was driving to a caucus meeting in Mkhuze.
Lieutenant Colonel Nxobile Gwala, the police spokesperson said, at 7am, Mxolisi Buthelezi, 41, the chairperson of the EFF in the Umkhanyakude District municipality, was allegedly killed in a drive-by shooting while in the Ogengele area in Mtubatuba. Buthelezi was declared dead on the scene while another party member was wounded on the leg.
“He sustained multiple gunshot wounds on the upper body and was declared dead at the scene. The motive for the killing is unknown. A case of murder is being investigated by KwaMsane SAPS,” Gwala said.
The EFF in KZN expressed complete shock by the killing. “Buthelezi and another fighter were on their way to a caucus meeting when an unknown vehicle overtook them and fired gunshots at them,” said EFF spokesperson Vusi Khoza.
“Buthelezi died on the scene while the other EFF member was rushed to a local clinic.”
“It will be premature to speculate on the motive for the attack. We know that we are operating in a very unfriendly political environment, but we will give the law enforcement agencies a space to do their investigation and only once that is concluded that we can start talking about the motive for the killing,” said Khoza.
Khoza described Buthelezi as a “friendly, hardworking and disciplined cadre” of the EFF. “We call upon the Saps to leave no stone unturned in investigating this matter.”
Source: News24, Sowetan Live, The Citizen, The Witness, image from The Citizen: iStock