Eastern Cape council speaker shot dead after receiving death threat
18 July 2017
King William's Town - The council speaker of the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality in Fort Beaufort, Eastern Cape, has been shot dead, just weeks after her office received an ominous death threat.
Thozama Njobe was gunned down while she and another person were driving from a gathering in New Town on Monday night, said police spokesperson Colonel Sibongile Soci.
Njobe was hit in the upper body. She was rushed to hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.
ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane told News24 on Tuesday that a stranger had visited Njobe's office two to three weeks ago, but she had been in Johannesburg for the ANC policy conference at the time.
"He told those in the office that he had been hired to assassinate her. Sometimes we don't believe these things, but it was reported to police and they did absolutely nothing."
He condemned the killing, saying it could have been avoided. He hoped detectives would step up their efforts to arrest the killer.
Police confirmed that "seasoned detectives" would work around the clock to ensure the perpetrator was brought to justice.
Soci said they would not speculate on the motive at this time.
