/ 5 September 2006

Provincial chair of Zuma trust shot dead

The provincial chairperson of the Friends of Jacob Zuma Trust was shot outside his Meadowlands home on Monday and died on Tuesday, the head of communications for the trust, Kaizer Mohau, said.

”Seven bullets were pumped into Zodathi Sithole’s body,” said Mohau.

”He died in hospital this [Tuesday] morning.”

It is believed that Sithole was saying goodbye to the provincial secretary, Lucky Zidi, who had been visiting him, when he was fatally shot.

Zidi was allegedly starting his car when the shooting took place and was unable to identify the gunman.

”A police investigation will tell us more about the motive and the perpetrator,” said Mohau.

Captain Mbazima Shiburi of the Soweto police was unable to comment, saying he was battling to get any information on the murder himself.

Zuma appeared in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday, accused of having accepted a R500 000 a year bribe from Thint in exchange for protection into a probe into South Africa’s controversial multibillion-rand arms deal. — Sapa