Pretoria - The arrest of a third suspect linked to the fatal shooting of Mkhondo Local Municipality councillor Sibonelo Ntshangase and his two ANC comrades, Sandile Khumalo and Sizwe Mbingo, has been labelled a breakthrough in a province that has failed to crack political murders in the past.
According to Mpumalanga police, the 40-year-old suspect was arrested in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday and officially charged in Piet Retief on Wednesday.
Former Mkhondo mayor Vusi Motha and security company owner Willington Sangweni were arrested on Monday.
The arrests follow the establishment of a national task team aimed at dealing with the murders that took place at Longhomes Township in Piet Retief at the weekend.
Motha faces charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, while Sangweni faces charges of fraud, the contravention of the Firearms Control Act and the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority Act.
The third suspect appeared in the Piet Retief Magistrate’s Court yesterday on charges of murder. He was remanded in custody and will reappear with the two other accused on Monday for formal bail application.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Manamela urged community members with information that could assist the police with their investigations to come forward.
“We still need support from members of the public regarding further details which may assist in the investigation to come forth. We promise to treat such information with much delicacy,” she said.
Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane said the latest arrest signified a high level of commitment on an emotional matter.
“This is truly a victory for the bereaved families as well as the people of Mkhondo. I am certain that the hard work of the police will not only bring justice for the families, but will further restore community trust in our police,” Mtshweni-Tsipane said.
The premier confirmed that there were unsolved political murders in Mpumalanga dating back more than a decade.
“Currently, we have several cases, including 12 murder cases that are politically related, dating back to 2009. We need to work hard to resolve them and help the bereaved families to find closure. It is only when killers have been sentenced that the families can find closure,” she said.
This week, Police Minister Bheki Cele said a specialised team of investigators would get to the bottom of the recent political murders, including that of Mkhondo PR councillor Muzi Manyathi, who was gunned down at a petrol station in Piet Retief in November 2022.
This follows complaints about a string of unresolved political murder cases. Victims include Saul Shabangu, Hebron Maisela, Sydney de Lange, Thandi Mtsweni, Jimmy Mohlala and Sammy Mpatlanyane.
Cele’s spokesperson, Lirandzu Themba, said the police were making progress in dealing with political murders.
“Minister Cele set up a task team on political killings in KwaZulu-Natal in 2018 which has posted many successes and has made a serious dent in such killings in that province.”
Pretoria News