Endumeni Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Umzinyathi District of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
JOHANNESBURG – Endumeni Local Municipality Mayor and his two alleged accomplices are expected to appear in the Estcourt Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
READ: Teams probing KZN political killings work in silos: Cele
The Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal said the trio faced charges of conspiracy to murder and other related charges.
Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said the suspects were arrested in a pre-dawn raid by the Political Task Team assisted by the National Intervention Unit.
This after a team intercepted information of a plot to allegedly assassinate the municipal speaker.
“The mayor, a councillor and a hitman allegedly planned an assassination against the speaker, who is alleged to be an obstacle in the awarding of a tender. It is understood the speaker allegedly suspected undue influence and possible corruption in the process,” Mhlongo added.
The Endumeni Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Umzinyathi District of KwaZulu-Natal.
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in a statement on Thursday expressed shock at the news.
“It is with shock and deep disappointment that the IFP has received the news that Mayor Mbatha of an IFP-led Endumeni Municipality was arrested on allegations of attempting to assassinate the Speaker of the same Municipality, who is also an IFP leader herself,” the party said.
“As a matter of principle, we want to categorically state that as the IFP, we abhor any act of using violence to resolve whatever issues the people may have.
“The IFP is fully aware and we are talking about allegations, for now. As such, we cannot pass any judgment on anyone implicated. However, what worries the IFP more is the fact that these allegations implicate a leader who is supposed to be exemplary,” it added.
KwaZulu-Natal has been at the centre of political killings in recent months, as well as historically.
*Additional reporting eNCA
