Murdered Emfuleni clerk Martha Mani Rantsofu’s death sparks conflicting claims, as the municipality dismisses whistleblower allegations while her family insists she feared for her life.
Image: Facebook
The Emfuleni Local Municipality has moved to dismiss claims surrounding the murder of its employee Martha Mani Rantsofu, while her family insists she feared for her life and had taken steps to report alleged corruption before she was gunned down.
Rantsofu, a senior clerk in the municipality’s finance and revenue department, was shot dead near a police station in Vanderbijlpark on March 30.
In the aftermath of her killing, the municipality has strongly condemned what it describes as the spread of misinformation, rejecting claims that she was involved in whistleblowing linked to a R16 million tender.
Municipal spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni said the circulation of “distorted facts and sensationalised narratives” is causing unnecessary distress and damaging the institution’s reputation.
“We strongly urge the media to exercise increased accountability, verify their sources, and observe basic journalistic ethics before publishing stories that can cause irreversible damage,” Sangweni said.
Sangweni also called on the public to stop sharing unfiltered footage of the incident, urging respect for the dignity of the deceased and her grieving family. It further criticised activist Mpumelelo Mnisi, accusing him of spreading unverified claims that Rantsofu was preparing to expose corruption.
“We categorically reject the claims that Rantsofu was involved in some whistleblowing… this is not true and had nothing to do with her,” he said.
However, Rantsofu’s family has painted a different picture, one of fear, intimidation, and unresolved questions.
Her brother, Lerato Rantsofu, said she had previously opened cases with law enforcement, including one that escalated to the Hawks, and had reported intimidation linked to suspicious financial activities within the municipality.
"She opened a case that was taken to the Hawks, and the other one was she opened a case for intimidation, and I think they are linked because of, there was a certain point whereby she told a friend that there's a person who's paying in municipality with fake checks, and then the money doesn't reflect into their accounts," he said.
"So that's how far I know about this, but I'm sure there are investigating officers that are busy with it, trying to find out if this way, it's not a speculation in a way, it's there because now she's no longer with us."
Rantsofu’s case has now been taken over by the Provincial Serious and Violent Crime Investigation unit (PKTT), which is probing the circumstances surrounding her killing.
While police continue its investigation, the municipality said it is fully cooperating with authorities and has urged anyone with information to come forward.
The Star
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