The voice of Nkangala District Municipality’s chattiest comms-manager has been silenced by hijackers in eMalahleni.
Five male suspects from Mozambique, aged between 19 and 40, were arrested following the hijacking and murder of the Nkangala’s Chief Communications Manager David “Sombu” Masombuka (64), in eMalahleni between Sunday and Monday.
Mr Masombuka’s bereaved family said that they last saw him on Sunday, before he travelled to eMalahleni for an municipal IDP meeting in Klarinet.
Questionable transactions on his bank account led family members to report him missing to police, after they failed numerous times to contact him.
Mr Masombuka worked as the Divisional Manager of Communication, Marketing and Branding at Nkangala District Municipality.
The five suspects are expected to appear at Emalahleni Magistrate’s Court today, facing multiple charges, including murder, hijacking and possession of suspected stolen property.
According investigations, Mr Masombuka was driving from Kwamhlanga for the IDP meeting, but failed to arrive at his intended destination.
After the family reported him missing at Kwamhlanga Police Station as well as alerting the Witbank SAPS, they also notified the tracking company, and the victim’s vehicle was located near a fuel station in eMalahleni.
Collaboration between the tracker company and SAPS resulted in the swift arrest of the suspects. During their arrest, it is reported that they were found with some personal items believed to belong to Mr Masombuka.
A subsequent investigation led to the discovery of the victim’s body in the bushes next to the Bulpan filling station on the Verena-road.
Investigators are working in partnership with officials from the Department of Home Affairs to ascertain the status of the suspects, and charges in relation to contravention of the Immigration Act could be added.
“The collaboration between the tracker company and SAPS members was instrumental in bringing the suspects to justice,” Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi said.
The family has further revealed that confessions led to the retrieval of Mr Masombuka’s body in the early hours of Monday morning.
They thanked both the tracking company and police for their efforts with finding Mr Masombuka, and apprehending his alleged killers.
The family is yet to retails details over a memorial service and burial.
• The Nkangala District Municipality has sent condolences to his family and loved ones.
He worked at the municipality for 12-years.
Details around the actual murder, and how it was committed has also not been released.
• Mr Masombuka fostered a close relationship with journalists of the Middelburg Observer, with regular phone calls and visits to the offices where he enjoyed chatting about photography.
He will be sadly missed.
