KZN councillor killed in ‘hail of bullets’ outside his home

The murder of Mtubatuba councillor Philip Mkhwanazi was met with shock and sadness by colleagues and comrades on Monday.

“Reports received by the department indicate that Cllr Mkhwanazi died this morning in a hail of bullets fired by unknown assailants when he was outside his house in Khula Village near St Lucia,” said KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Sipho Hlomuka.

“As the sphere of local government in the province, we are saddened by the loss of yet another foot soldier in the battle to bring adequate services closer to our communities,” said Hlomuka.

Sowetan Live reported that Mkhwanazi was the induna of Khula village in the Dukuduku reserve, 5km outside St Lucia in northern KwaZulu-Natal. He was reportedly shot by men whose car was being repaired.

“The murder of a public representative is tantamount to subversion of democracy because councillors are servants of the people elected directly by the people,” said Hlomuka, who urged anybody who knows anything about the murder to give the information to the police.

The ANC Far North region also expressed its shock at Mkhwanazi’s murder. He was deputy chairperson of its Injojela Branch (Ward 03), a deployee as a proportional representation councillor, and ANC caucus whip at the Mtubatuba local municipality.

According to the Far North region, he was shot at a cultural village.

The regional secretary Siphile Mdaka also extended condolences to the family.

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