DURBAN - As the family of slain IFP councillor Innocent “Killer” Mkhwanazi buried the 43-year-old in KwaMsane Township in Mtubatuba on Sunday, they remain none the wiser about the motive behind his murder.
Mkhwanazi was shot and killed last Monday by unknown gunmen.
His killing comes less than a week after ACDP proportional representative (PR) councillor Pastor John Myaka was was shot dead in front of congregants at his Cedar Family Church in Enseleni.
Mkhwanazwi, an IFP councillor in the Umkhanyakude District Municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal, was driving in the Mtubatuba area, when gunmen opened fire at him.
Brigadier Jay Naicker provincial police spokesperson said that both Myaka and Mkhwanazi’s murder cases were being investigated by the political task team set up by Police Minister Bheki Cele to probe political killings in KZN.
Mkhwanazi’s death has left his family and his party shocked and questioning what could have led to his killing, considering that he was a “popular people’s person”.
Speaking to the Sunday Tribune, Mkhwanazi’s younger brother, Vincent, said that they were not aware of the motive for his killing.
“My brother was a people’s person. He was always at the forefront of looking out for things that will help his community progress, he cared for his community.’’
Vincent said that their parents were no longer alive and Mkhwanazi was survived by his siblings, wives and children.
The South African Local Government Association (Salga) in KZN said that based on KZN statistics collected from municipalities, 39 councillors had died between September to date. Seventeen of those were assassinated. Another 17 had succumbed to natural causes, three had died in car accidents while two had committed suicide.
KZN Salga chairperson Thami Ntuli, who also serves as the IFP’s provincial chairperson, said that they were appalled and shocked by the recent wave of killings and assassinations targeting councillors in the province.
“These acts of violence not only rob us of dedicated public servants but also threaten the very fabric of our democracy. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and colleagues of the victims, and we stand in solidarity with all councillors who face this atmosphere of fear and insecurity,” Ntuli said.
Professor Nirmala Gopal, a criminologist from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s College of Humanities, said that there was not sufficient political will to stop these killings and that while some departments may be committed others appear more reluctant to stop the killings.
“These hits are serving some political parties’ interests. Notably, there appears to be little consideration for the impact on the public at large. This we should see as the most significant issue for the province and extended to the country.”
Gopal said the root cause of the political killings were based on competitiveness.
“In other words, clients who hire these killers are in competition either for money or positions, usually politically linked ones. So there is a supply and a demand for the killers. Both parties benefit criminally. However, this is all at the expense of increased crime levels in the province.”
She added that with the 2024 General Elections looming historical trends showed an increase in political killings close to elections.
“Having said this, the relevant safety and security departments should proactively intervene by gathering intelligence in advance on hotspot areas or provinces to mitigate against these killings.
“The morale of the electorate will be affected by these killings hence impacting voting as voters may be terrified to be around some voting stations for fear of violence. The consequences are far-reaching,” Gopal said.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE