Eastern Cape ANC councillor-in-waiting and wife killed

Cape Town - Eastern Cape police have formed a high level task team to investigate the murder of ANC councillor-in-waiting, Zolile Malangeni, and his government employee wife Ntombovuyo this week.

The couple was killed in their home in Mayamuleni, Tsolo, on Thursday night, with two small children present, said police spokesperson Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela on Saturday.

The children were both 2 years old.

Malangeni's wife died at the house, and Malangeni died later in hospital. The children were not physically harmed.

Fatyela said nobody has been arrested yet, but the provincial commissioner of police, the cluster commander and members of the specialist police unit the Hawks visited the scene on Friday and have formed a task team to investigate the murders.

In a statement condemning the shooting, the SA National Civics Organisation (Sanco) said the two children ran and locked themselves in the bathroom and were found later by villagers.

Sanco spokesperson Jabu Mahlangu said Zolile Malangeni, aged 55, worked as a senior manager at OR Tambo Municipality's Ntinga Development Agency and 49-year-old Ntombovuyo worked at the Local Economic Development department at Mhlontlo municipality.

He said they were having supper when they were killed at point blank range.

Concerned that the murders might be political, he urged communities to protect their councillors, and called on authorities to catch the people responsible quickly.

"Too many lives have been lost to political thuggery and the senseless violence which undermine the outcome of democratic processes and the wishes of our communities," he said.

"Only prompt arrests and successful prosecution of those who have robbed our communities of their trusted leaders will serve as a deterrent to discourage post elections political killings."

Distraught ANC regional chairperson Xolile Nkompela said Malangeni had been earmarked for the position of Speaker in the Mhlontle local council at a meeting earlier this week after winning ward 7 in Mhlontlo with 90.03% of the vote. The local council falls under the OR Tambo District Municipality.

According to a report in the Mail & Guardian, Nkompela himself escaped an attempt on his life last December, but his bodyguard Zukile Nyontso was killed during the attack. He was the Speaker at Mhlonto at the time.

He said on Saturday that at the meeting this week, names were proposed for the positions of Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Speaker. Malangeni was a former Speaker at the council and was a front runner for the position for the new council to be formed after the 3 August local government elections.

He was also the ANC branch chairperson in his area and had been very active in the community.

"We need all the help we can get to catch those people," said Nkompela.

Two people were arrested in connection with that earlier attack on Nkompela while he was driving with his bodyguard and brother.

Former ANC chairperson of the OR Tambo region was among those arrested and released on bail. They would appear in court again in September, said Nkompela.

This article first appeared on News24.