Four men were detained in Ulundi on Tuesday morning for the possession of an illegal firearm and were being questioned in connection with the attack on, and murder of, KwaZulu-Natal social development MEC Prince Gideon Zulu’s son, provincial police reported.
The 37-year-old prince, who was shot on Monday in an attack on a car carrying him and his mother near Ulundi died in Durban’s St Augustine’s hospital on Tuesday.
He, his mother, Princess Winifred Dlamini-Zulu and their driver, identified so far only as a Mr Mdlalose, were travelling from Ulundi to Empangeni shortly after 11am on Monday when their car came under fire.
The attack occurred about 5km outside Ulundi. The car careened off the road and Prince Mazwi and the driver were wounded by the gunfire. Dlamini-Zulu was injured when the car left the road. Mdlalose and Dlamini-Zulu have since recovered.
Prince Zulu Snr, one of King Goodwill Zwelithini’s uncles and a high-ranking member of the Inkatha Freedom Party, was not in the car at the time.
On Tuesday night, police representative Superintendent Vishnu Naidoo said the four men were arrested in Ulundi.
”The serious and violent crimes unit, who are investigating the attack on Prince Gideon Zulu’s family and driver, have arrested four men for the possession of a homemade firearm.
”These men are also being questioned in connection with the attack on the Zulu family, and the driver, because they were arrested in close proximity to where the attack took place.”
On Tuesday afternoon, after hearing of Mazwi’s death, the IFP expressed its condolences to Prince Zulu Snr and his family.
IFP representative Musa Zondi said: ”The party is sad on hearing the news that Prince Mazwi Zulu has passed away.
”I know that I speak on behalf of everyone in the IFP in extending our deepest condolences, prayers and thoughts to Prince Gideon Zulu, his wife, and to their family at this tragic time.”
KwaZulu-Natal New National Party leader Renier Schoeman also expressed his party’s condolences to Zulu’s family and the Zulu nation.
The NNP also called on politicians to be responsible in this time of mourning.
”Only a thorough police investigation into the shooting can establish the motives behind it and it would be counter productive to speculate about it prematurely,” Schoeman said in reference to earlier speculation that the attack was an assassination attempt.
Pan Africanist Congress deputy president Mosoko Pheko added his and his party’s condolences to the rest.
”We are disturbed by the death of the Zulu Prince’s son. We hope those behind the act will be caught and punished,” Pheko said. He said he hoped there would not be political instability in KwaZulu-Natal because of the attack. – Sapa