WEDNESDAY, 10.30AM
TWO newly elected African National Congress councillors in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands town of Richmond were shot dead on Tuesday night together with three other party members in the nearby Simozomeni township.
Richmond mayor Andrew Ravagaloo said all five were dragged from a house in the township and shot execution style. He said it is believed the five were killed late on Tuesday night, but their bodies were only discovered on Wednesday morning.
WEDNESDAY, 2.00PM
The two ANC councillors murdered on Tuesday night in Richmond have been identified as Thomas Mchunu, 25, and Mbongenseni Mchunu, also 25. The other three ANC members killed were: Boy Dlamini, 23, Mduduzi Mntungwa, 25, Msheniyeni Nyibe, 30.
Police spokesman Superintendent Henry Budhram said it is believed the attack was related to Sunday’s municipal by-election in Richmond. It is believed the men were sleeping in a house in Simozomeni township near Richmond when their attackers dragged them from the house and shot each one in the head. The bodies were discovered by a resident at about 7am. Budhram said the resident heard shooting in the area at about 9pm on Tuesday night. More than 30 spent AK47 and R4 rifle cartridges were found on the scene. Police said two men have been apprehended and are being questioned.
The Richmond election was contested by expelled ANC member Sifiso Nkabinde, who now heads the National Consultative Forum in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands. The ANC trounced the NCF in the election, winning four of the five wards, with the fifth going to an independent candidate.
WEDNESDAY, 4.00PM
Three of the five ANC members slain at Isimozonemi outside Richmond on Tuesday night apparently informed police hours before their deaths that arms were being brought into their area, the ANC said at the scene on Wednesday afternoon.
Provincial transport MEC S’bu Ndebele said the men reported the matter to Richmond mayor Andrew Ragavaloo at 6pm on Tuesday and Ragavaloo in turn informed the police and requested more security in the area. Ragavaloo was apparently told that additional policemen were not available because security had been reduced in the region.
The ANC claimed members of the Pietermarizburg public order policing unit ordered SA National Defence Force personnel out of the area on Tuesday night. Ndebele said a thorough investigation will be conducted into the allegations about requests for extra security.
Ndebele added that a public order policing unit was seen escorting expelled ANC member Sifiso Nkabinde into the area on Tuesday night. Nkabinde’s house was searched by police on Wednesday morning but nothing was found. On Wednesday afternoon Nkabinde and about 300 of his supporters gathered at Ndabikono school in Magoda, near Richmond.