The United Democratic Movement councillor for the Metsimaholo municipality in the Free State, who was shot in the face recently, has died in hospital, police confirmed on Tuesday.
Isaac Mokgatla (38) was shot in the Tshepiso informal settlement after he collected his two children from a school on January 31.
Captain Stephen Thakeng said Mokgatla died in the Pelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
Police are now investigating a case of murder and were questioning a man about the shooting incident.
”He is detained only for questioning,” said Thakeng.
At the time of the shooting, Mokgatla was driving his vehicle near the Tshepiso informal settlement.
Two men appeared from the settlement and wanted to speak with him. One of them apparently drew a handgun and fired three shots in the direction of Mokgatla, his children and two friends in the vehicle.
”One bullet hit Mr Mokgatla through his mouth and hit the passenger in his chest. The second bullet hit the passenger sitting in front in his thigh and the third shot hit the passenger’s door,” police said at the time.
The gunmen then fled.
Executive mayor for Metsimaholo, Fundiswa Ngubentombi, expressed her shock at the death and shooting incident in a statement.
She called on all the residents to do whatever was possible to cooperate with law enforcement agencies to bring the killers to book.
Ngubentombi and Free State local government minister Joel Mafareka visited Mokgatla’s family in Deneysville on Monday to pay their respects. – Sapa