Shooters on the roof: Inside the attempted ‘assassination’ of Gauteng EFF leader Nkululeko Dunga

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has condemned an alleged assassination attempt on its Gauteng Chairperson Nkululeko Dunga.

The red berets said the alleged assassination attempt on Dunga was thwarted in the early hours of Wednesday morning at his Johannesburg home.

Assasination attempt

Party spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys said at least eight heavily armed assailants descended on Dunga’s home where his partner, two children, and grandmother were present.

“At approximately midnight, suspicious footsteps were heard on the roof, prompting commissar Dunga’s son to request a security check. By 2 am, a security officer, while conducting his rounds, was ambushed and shot at by armed intruders who had positioned themselves on the roof.

“The guard returned fire, engaging with at least three shooters before eight heavily armed assailants fled the scene by jumping over the wall. For two hours, these men lay in wait, ready to carry out what was clearly a coordinated and pre-meditated attempt on the life of a revolutionary leader,” Mathys said.

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No injuries

Mathys said no one was killed, but “the gravity of this ambush cannot be understated”.

“This was a deliberate, well-planned attempt on the life of one of our most prominent leaders in the Gauteng Province.

“The police responded professionally, arriving promptly to investigate the scene, and remained active until 10 am. Bullet holes were identified, forensic teams gathered evidence, and fingerprints were collected,” Mathys said.

Political violence

Mathys said the EFF is concerned about the escalating political violence in the country.

“This assassination attempt is part of a disturbing and growing trend of violence targeting political figures and whistle-blowers across the country.

“The rising lawlessness and the ease with which guns for hire are deployed in these attacks reflect the state’s failure to protect its citizens.

“With the murders of whistle-blower Babita Deokoran and former West Rand district municipality’s Refentse Mangope, political violence is becoming alarmingly normalised,” Mathys said.

The EFF has called for an “urgent and thorough investigation” into Dunga’s attempted assassination,

The Mondeor Police Station confirmed to The Citizen that a case has been opened and investigations are continuing.

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