Richmond deputy mayor gunned down in second political killing
3 April 2017
Durban - Police have confirmed that Richmond Local Municipality Deputy Mayor Thandazile Phoswa was killed in a shooting on Sunday night.
Phoswa's murder comes a month after Richmond's municipal manager‚ S'bu Sithole‚ was gunned down in an apparent hit.
No arrests have been made in that incident.
Phoswa was killed around 23:00 on Sunday.
"A deputy mayor of Richmond municipality was found with a gunshot wound to the head while at her house in Ndaleni area," police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said on Monday.
Gwala said Phoswa was taken to a local clinic for medical attention, but was declared dead on arrival.
"The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated."
Call for calm
KZN MEC for co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) Nomusa Dube-Ncube on Monday called on law enforcement to bring Phoswa's killers to justice.
"We are shocked by this untimely death which comes only a few weeks after the killing of the municipal manager at the same municipality. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and the constituency of the deceased deputy mayor," said Dube-Ncube.
She also called for calm from the community of Richmond while investigations continued.
Since 2011 there have been more than 80 politically-related killings in the province.
Victims have included party members, councillors and councillor candidates.
Premier Willies Mchunu established the Moerane Commission, chaired by advocate Marumo Moerane, to investigate political killings in the province from 2011 to the present.
