Breakthrough in KZN political killings: Two suspects arrested

Weeks after uncertainty over the 121 dockets linked to political killings in KwaZulu-Natal, the unit has made a breakthrough in arresting two murder suspects linked to the killing of a land activist in 2022.

A statement issued by the office of the provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, said the Political Killings Task Team detectives arrested two suspects aged 55 and 23 years.  Police said the suspects were nabbed while in prison, where they were being held for unrelated murder cases. 

The two were wanted for the murder of Xolani Ndlovu-Ntombela who was gunned down at his home in Mpophomeni outside Howick in the midlands of the province in 2022. The motive for his killing was linked to the illegal sale of land in the Emasosheni area, which he was exposing. 

Mkhwanazi applauded the unit's members and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), saying that their relentless efforts in solving political killings related cases are bearing desired fruits.

“The suspects, aged 55 and 23 years old, were already in custody where one is in the process of applying for bail whereas the other is awaiting trial for another case of murder. At the time of their arrest for Ndlovu-Ntombela, the suspects were charged with  murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition,” read the statement.

The suspects were expected to appear in the Howick Magistrate's Court on Monday.

The dockets and the unit have been at the centre of a storm following the explosive revelation by Mkhwanazi in July, where he claimed that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu had interfered with the unit’s investigation.

Mchunu has denied the claims.

The return of dockets to the unit by national Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Fannie Masemola also pitted Masemola against the acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, who publicly disputed the decision. The two later agreed that copies of the dockets would be submitted to the Madlanga Commission, which is probing Mkwanazi's claims, however, police investigations would continue.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za