Two arrested for murder of IFP council speaker in KZN

Two men have been arrested for the murder of IFP councillor and Amajuba district municipality speaker Reginald Ndima.

Police said a national task team investigating politically-related cases in KwaZulu-Natal arrested the men within days of the killing, on January 29.

The accused, Mhlonishwa Sokhulu and Sibusiso Chocholo, appeared before the Newcastle magistrate's court where they were remanded for a formal bail application to be heard on Monday.

Ndima was shot dead in the driveway of his home in Newcastle.

According to police, the accused were found with a .357 magnum revolver which was seized and taken in for ballistic analysis to determine if it was used in the commission of the crime.

A Ford Ranger believed to have been used by the pair as a getaway vehicle was also seized.

SAPS commissioner Gen Khehla Sitole applauded the team for the timely response in apprehending those believed to be behind the murder of Ndima.

“This latest arrest must serve as a deterrent to those who continuously perpetrate such crimes. We will continue to ensure that the necessary resources are deployed to prevent and combat any further incidents of this nature. We also urge our communities to work closely with the SAPS in combating these heinous crimes,” he said.

The national task team was established in 2018 and is responsible for ensuring that perpetrators of politically-related crimes are brought to book with the view of putting an end to political violence in KwaZulu-Natal.

In a briefing by police minister Bheki Cele in Durban on Wednesday last week, it was revealed that since June last year the task team had registered 32 dockets — most of which were reported before, during and after the local government elections in November. 

“Investigations of the political killings task team have revealed that the most affected political parties are the ANC, IFP and NFP. Motives for these crimes are linked to intra-political conflicts with a few cases linked to motives such as taxi violence and other domestic-related issues,” he said.

Since the formation of the task team, 10 people have been sentenced to life imprisonment while 22 accused were handed sentences ranging from 10 to 50 years.

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