The 37-year-old mayor of a KwaZulu-Natal South Coast municipality was killed in a car crash, police said on Thursday.
Police spokesperson Zandra Hechter said Mfundo Lushaba, the mayor of Umzumbe, was found dead in his Toyota Hilux double-cab about 10m from the Ifafa offramp on the N2 near the resort town of Hibberdene.
She said it was not clear what had caused the accident, but his vehicle had crashed into a tree. She said police believe the accident took place during the night.
Police were alerted in the morning when road workers spotted the wreck of the vehicle.
Hechter said police were investigating a case of culpable homicide.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier S’bu Ndebele, provincial transport minister Bheki Cele and local government minister Mike Mabuyakhulu paid tribute to Lushaba and expressed their condolences to his family. — Sapa