During Britain’s emotional Brexit campaign, a deranged misfit stabbed and shot Parliamentarian Jo Cox as she was talking with local constituents. The shock waves reverberated for days, the entire campaign temporarily halted as a sign of respect as tributes poured in for the one-time Oxfam director. In South Africa, as the stories below chronicle, during the past couple days alone two would-be ANC town councillors have been murdered while another avoided execution by diving onto the floor with her children as bullets rained through her windows. Their would-be assassins are driven by an altogether different agenda to Cox’s murderer. As witnessed by the riots in Tshwane when the mayoral candidate was changed, and the protest of 5 000 outside the ANC headquarters when the party’s list of municipal candidates was released, getting the nod from Luthuli House is a valuable prize for the ANC faithful. For them, becoming a municipal councillor is not just a well paid job – it brings an ability for contractual rents, and to bestow largesse by selecting which loyalists are “deployed” at ratepayer expense. Becoming a councillor, clearly, has has nothing to do with public service. The two century old wisdom of US Founding Father Benjamin Franklin which featured in yesterday’s Daily Insider is worth repeating: When wealth accrues to public office, disaster follows. In a young democracy, orphans too. – Alec Hogg
By Ntombi Mbomvu, GroundUp
Pietermaritzburg – Nonhlanhla Khumalo, the ANC Machibisa branch chairperson in Ward 22, Pietermaritzburg, fears for her life and her family’s safety after their home was raked with gunfire.
Khumalo, who has held the position for more than 10 years, opened a case at the Plessislaer police station following the terrifying incident at around 20:30 on Wednesday.
“I had just got home from a community meeting. We were watching television in the lounge with my three children when we heard gunshots. They were very close and that is when we realised it was aimed at us,” she said.
“All of us had to lie on our stomachs. Some of the bullets came through the main door to the kitchen. We stayed down until they were finished. We immediately called the police, but they only came midday [the following day].”
According to ANC members who were at Khumalo’s home when Groundup visited, the attack was politically motivated.
The Ward 22 councillor, Pat Jaca, has been replaced by Xolani Ngongoma as the candidate for the upcoming elections.
The ward has two factions, one supporting Jaca, the other Ngongoma. Khumalo supports Ngongoma.
The ANC members visiting Khumalo said Ngongoma has the support of most local residents. Members of the community also present, agreed, and accused Jaca of being behind the attack.
Another ANC KzwaZulu-Natal leader killed, bringing death toll to 12https://t.co/AByUbM8SWF pic.twitter.com/08Hra9fm5n
— Ray Hartley (@hartleyr) July 19, 2016
“Most of us here have been attacked by his boys,” one of them said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“He has stopped us from having community meetings at KwaPoyinandi community hall. The only people who hold meetings at the hall are him and his people. We now hold our meetings in one of our member’s houses.
“We don’t care what he does. If it means we die for supporting Ngongoma so be it,” the resident said.
Khumalo accused Jaca of abusing his position as councillor to benefit his friends. “He has done enough damage in the ward.”
Jaca denied the allegations.
“I’m 63-years-old, and I don’t have the energy to fight for the title of being ward councillor. I don’t have people whom I send to attack or hurt others. My focus is on business and nothing more.”
Police spokesperson Colonel Thulani Zwane confirmed that a case of attempted murder and malicious damage to property had opened at the Plessislaer police station.
“The motive is unknown at this stage and no arrests have been made.” –Â GroundUp
Source:Â http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/anc-branch-chair-kids-survive-hail-of-bullets-at-home-2016071
Second ANC candidate councillor killed on Mandela Day
By Kaveel Singh
Durban – A second KwaZulu-Natal ANC member and candidate councillor was shot dead on Monday on her way to a Mandela Day event, the Hawks said.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo told News24 that 41-year-old Khanyisile Sibisi was shot on Monday afternoon while on her way to donate goods at a Mandela Day event in Ladysmith.
“Her vehicle was opened fire upon and she was injured. She was taken to hospital where she was declared dead.”
Mhlongo said he “appealed to the party concerned” to come forward with information.
[ON AIR PACKAGE] Another ANC ward candidate has been shot dead, this time at Harding in southern KwaZulu-Natal. #AMLive #sabcnews
— #UpdateAtNoon 104-107fm đź“» (@UpdateAtNoon) July 19, 2016
“We cannot have a situation where people are being killed like this, in this case two people in one day. We are calling on witnesses and the political party to come forward with information to assist our investigations. We condemn the killings.”
Sibisi is the second ANC candidate councillor to be killed on Monday. Bongani Skhosana, also a candidate ANC councillor in KZN, was killed in his car in front of his children as he was about to take them to school on Monday morning.
ANC provincial secretary Super Zuma previously called on law enforcement agencies to increase their visibility in known hotspots and to beef up security ahead of the August 3 elections.
“We are concerned that as we near the local government elections, we are losing our ward candidates. What is more saddening is this cowardly act of the killing of our comrades in front of children.”
He pleaded with ANC members not to take the law into their own hands. –Â News24
Source:Â http://www.news24.com/Elections/News/second-anc-candidate-councillor-killed-on-mandela-day-20160718
ANC election candidate shot dead in front of his kids in KZN
By Amanda Khoza
Durban – A KwaZulu-Natal ANC member and election candidate was shot dead in front of his children on Monday, the party said.
Bongani Skhosana was killed in his car, in front of his children as he was about to take them to school on Monday morning, provincial spokesperson Mdumiseni Ntuli said.
He was a Ward 1 candidate in the Umziwabantu municipality, in the Lower South Coast region.
ANC provincial secretary Super Zuma called on law enforcement agencies to increase their visibility in known hotspots and to beef up security ahead of the August 3 elections.
“We are concerned that as we near the local government elections, we are losing our ward candidates. What is more saddening is this cowardly act of the killing our comrades in front of children.”
Zuma urged police to quickly investigate all politically-linked killings, to ensure peace and stability during the elections.
He pleaded with ANC members not to take the law into their own hands.
A second ANC ward candidate has been shot dead in a space of 24 hours in KwaZulu-Natal
— SAfm news (@SAfmnews) July 18, 2016
He said they were troubled that such a barbaric act on Nelson Mandela Day was causing an “embarrassing scene”.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane confirmed the murder.
At least another five ANC members have been killed in the province tin he past two months.
Thembi Mbongo‚ 35‚ a candidate for Ward 6, outside Osizweni, near Newcastle, was shot dead in front of her husband and children on July 2. Her killers knocked at the door of her home and asked to speak to her.
On Wednesday, June 8, ANC members Badedile Tshapha, 54, and Phetheni Ngubane, 50, were shot while making their way home from a branch general meeting in Imbali, Pietermaritzburg. Tshapha died on the scene. Ngubane died in hospital the next day.
During the previous week, two Pietermaritzburg men were killed. Former Mpofana municipality chief financial officer Simo Mncwabe was killed in Edendale while taking his children to school. The ANC’s Edenale branch chairperson, Nathi Hlongwa, was shot dead in Mbali township.  – News24
