Stellies DA councillor’s gun death “looks like a hit”…

Just as the Democratic Alliance (DA) was making good gains in the long-turbulent township of Kayamandi, Stellenbosch, its Mayco member for Community Services and PR Councillor Xolile Kalipa was gunned down. In this interview with BizNews, Koos Steyn, the DA’s West Region Chairperson, says although he does not wish to speculate, from what people had said, “it really looked like it was some kind of a hit”. The killing has unleashed an atmosphere of fear amongst other DA councillors who “…at this stage...are really not actively staying in Kayamandi because they're scared to…” Steyn hailed the slain Kalipa as somebody who “was fighting for the DA in many, many ways…we were really starting to move in gaining support in Kayamandi as the Democratic Alliance. And it's really the work of people like Kalipa.” Steyn adds: "...the only way you can really stop it when something like this happens is to get to the truth of it. Why it happened, who is behind it, and get those people out of the streets”..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..Watch here.Listen here.Edited transcript of the interview .Chris Steyn (00:01.798)Stellenbosch communities are in shock following the gun death of Mayco member and Democratic Alliance Councillor Xolile Kalipa. We speak to DA Regional Chairperson Koos Steyn. Koos Steyn (00:17.13)I think that it's really something that hurts us as a party and especially the community of Stellenbosch to lose somebody like Kalipa in such a way specifically.You know, Kalipa was absolutely community focused - and that was so tragic about it to lose somebody like that that was really serving the community. You know, we're politicians, some of us are politicians, but our main goal and our priority is actually to serve the community. And when you have someone like that serving his community and get killed, it just makes it so much worse - especially someone like Kalipa, who had a heart of gold actually, and he really cared about his community; to lose him in such a way. It's really tragic.Chris Steyn (01:28.046)I mean, he was actively responsible for community upliftment in that area.Koos Steyn (01:33.774)Exactly, even his portfolio, his Mayco portfolio speaks exactly to the kind of person that he was, focusing on community, community upliftment. So yes, that is who Kalipa was. I've known him for many, many years. I'm in politics since I can't remember when, it's too long ago. But it's always…I was thinking about it yesterday. It seems to me like Kalipa has always been somewhere there and being part of it all the time while I was in politics. Of course, I stay in Worcester, he stays in Stellenbosch, but worked together many many many times in elections, by-elections. I mean, Kalipa was an activist. He was fighting for the DA in many many ways. You know, and he truly believed in what he was doing…It is really something and I know that oour Mayor and Mayco will be visiting the family today. He lost his wife a few years ago already. I don't want to delve into really what happened because I don't know to be honest.Chris Steyn (02:54.918)But honest, what do you know about the circumstances of the killing?Koos Steyn (03:01.677)I don't know…what I know is what I've heard I think that many others have said…I don't know…it was, you know. People spoke about saying it was it looks like it was some kind of a hit if you look at what happened. So, for me, I don't really want to speculate about it because I haven't got all that info.I think what I know is what most people said. He had been sitting in the car and he had been shot. He had been shot, shots fired at him. So when you look at that kind of things, it really looked like it was some kind of a hit. And I can't imagine why something would happen to somebody like Kalipa. For me, I found it very strange. So...I was speaking to my wife yesterday and said, you know, I heard on the news the other day about how many political killings took place in KZN. Nobody speaks about it. You don't even hear it on the news. I was following the news, trying to follow the news. There was not really a lot said about the killing of a councillor like Kalipa in Stellenbosch. It's really, I find it terrible that people who are there serving the community die in such a way and nobody speaks about it. And this is what really, I mean, we should speak about it. We should open our mouths about it say, look what's happening. The people who put their lives forward to serve, and this is how it end up. We all know we do get career politicians as well. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. But Kalipa was somebody that served his community…Koos Steyn (05:11.121)…and for him to die in such a way and as if nobody speaks about it. I find it really terrible…Koos Steyn (05:23.159)…we should open up these kind of things.Chris Steyn (05:26.874)Do you know whether the police are investigating an assassination or a murder? Have they given you any indication that they are following up strong lead?Koos Steyn (05:36.75)I don't know. They haven't said anything. That's why I said I don't want to speculate about it because they haven't said what they are investigating. They are investigating a murder at this stage. We don't know if it's an assassination they are investigating. But yeah, I've spoken to Anru..our MEC for Safety. Of course, they will do everything in their power because this needs to be opened up. We need to get to the truth of what really happened in Stellenbosch and why it happened. I think that is very important that we know why such things happened because we have lots of other councillors, other people. And then something like that happened, you know, everybody gets terrified because we don't know why it happened. If we start to know why it happened, then maybe perhaps we can understand it better.Chris Steyn (06:48.334)Is there an atmosphere of fear now?Koos Steyn (06:52.779)Yes, obviously, when things like that happen and other councillors start to also, you know, worry about it, you know. It mustn't just become part of everyday politics. Because it shouldn't be there...We must, when something like this happens, you know, the only way you can really stop it is when something like this happens is to get to the truth of it. Why it happened, who is behind it, and get those people out of the streets. Because other people, there's a lot of other people that's also serving and it hampers them in what they are doing. So...Now we definitely have to get to the bottom of this.Chris Steyn (07:56.56)Do you know if he received any threats in the lead up to his killing?Koos Steyn (08:03.423)Not of any that we are aware of because that's the first thing that I asked our Mayor in Stellenbosch. Nobody was aware of anything because they ways… of course, if any of our councillors are under threat that we can provide protection for them in some kind of other way. But we we don't know of any threats. He's never spoken about something like that to us. So no, not that any of us are aware of, he hasn't spoken about something like that.Chris Steyn (08:35.268)And have there been any politically related incidents that could have a bearing on this?Koos Steyn (08:42.477)No, not really. That's why we found it was a complete shock to us. know, Kayamandi has been in a bit of a turmoil forever, but not something like this that we expected. As we can remember, years ago, it was a deputy mayor of us…that was also...something around that which we never really get fully get to the truth of that in Kayamandi, but no I'm not aware of anything. But we just need to get to the bottom of this so other people and other councillors can carry on with the work that they're doing. We have other councillors in Kayamandi as well. I mean, as you can imagine, it can't be easy for them as well. So, it's very important that they feel safe as well to carry on with their work that they do.Chris Steyn (09:55.184)Are you stepping up security around other councillors, especially those in the township?Koos Steyn (10:02.059)Yeah, at this stage, the councillors are councillors.… They are really not actively staying in Kayamandi because they're scared to…you can understand that. Yeah, until we know exactly what happened, we have to look at it. I don't want to delve into really into that because I think you understand.Chris Steyn (10:31.972)Meanwhile, just recap for our viewers who do not know which political parties are the biggest in the township.Koos Steyn (10:43.789)In Kayamandi, the biggest political party there has always been the ANC. The EFF is also very active. Those are the two main parties always being in Kayamandi. They are the biggest parties. Of course, we were really starting to move in gaining support in Kayamandi as the Democratic Alliance. And it's really the work of people like Kalipa. So I don't want to speculate about that.Chris Steyn (11:19.79)No, I understand. Do you have any last words for him in tribute?Koos Steyn (11:27.797)Yeah, I think I want to say thank you so that we are having this interview because like I said in the beginning I was upset that there isn't more about something like that. It's a killing of a councillor serving the community that took place - and people should know about it. So, from my side to you, I just want to say thank you. And of course, as the DA, we will continue serving our community no matter what. But yeah, we got to know why it happened. Thank you, Chris.Chris Steyn (12:11.184)No, thank you, Koos. Let's hope there is an arrest today still. That was Regional Chairperson Koos Steyn of the Democratic Alliance speaking to BizNews after the gun death of Mayco member and DA councillor Xolile Kalipa. And I’m Chris Steyn.

Stellies DA councillor’s gun death “looks like a hit”…

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