Councillor named alleged killers before his shooting
Hours before he was shot and killed, a councillor posted a video on his Facebook page stating the names of people who wanted him dead.
slain Mkhondo municipality’s ward 12 councillor Sibonelo Mthembu who died in a hail of bullets together with his friend and a mechanic on Friday night.
The ANC politician posted the video on his Facebook page on November 5, just a day after ANC Gert Sibande deputy chairperson Muzi Manyathi was gunned down.
Mthembu’s family yesterday said they were shocked and unable to come to terms with their loss.
Mthembu, a former finance employee at the Mkhondo municipality, had been vocal about corruption. In the video he accuses two politicians of wanting him dead.
His brother, Sabelo Nhleko, told Sowetan: “It’s hard to accept that he is dead. We are members of the ANC at home and we always supported him in his political journey.
“When Muzi Manyathi was killed in November last year we spoke to him and he told us that he was one of the people that they wanted to kill. He said some people who want to loot the municipality wanted him dead.”
He even went to Facebook to tell the public about names of people who wanted him dead but they were not arrested.
He used to work in the finance department of the municipality, he was dubiously fired. He went on to become the councillor in ward 12 and the people who fired him in 2020 shot at his car trying to kill him.
“He opened a case but those people are free even now. We want justice. We know there are trigger-pullers but we want the mastermind behind his death to be arrested,” added Sebelo.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Col Donald Mdlhuli said the shooting took place at about 8pm.