An African National Congress campaign of violence is to blame for the assassination of an Inkatha Freedom Party councillor, IFP president Mangosuthu Buthelezi said on Wednesday.
He was reacting to the death of Langa Ntshangase (35) who was shot twice in the head as he entered the front gate of his house in Nongoma at 9.15pm on Tuesday.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Captain Vusi Mbatha said Ntshangase’s killers lay in wait for him, hiding behind trees in his front garden.
Police suspect the murder may be politically motivated. No arrests had been made.
Buthelezi said in a statement that Ntshangase had been ”assassinated as part of an orchestrated campaign of ANC (African National Congress) violence”.
Buthelezi alleged Ntshangase’s name had been on an ANC hit-list. The list, he claimed, had also included Zanele Magwaza, mayor of the Zululand district, whose house was ”attacked” on July 13.
This was denied by ANC provincial spokesperson Mtholephi Mthimkhulu. ”We want to express our disappointment that the leader of the IFP is still claiming that there is ANC orchestrated violence in this province.
”It’s unfortunate that during the time when the people of KwaZulu-Natal are working together in line with the province’s new motto — masisukume sakhe (let us rise and build) — the IFP president still makes such unfounded allegations and irresponsible, reckless statements.”
Mthimkhulu told Sapa: ”If Dr Buthelezi has any information about any member of the ANC that is orchestrating violence, we humbly ask Dr Buthelezi to give information to the police so that those members of the ANC will face the wrath of the law.” – Sapa