KZN premier condemns brutal murder of restaurant owner hacked to death with panga

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has condemned the brutal murder of a restaurant owner who was recently hacked to death with a panga.

The owner of a well-known eatery in the Balgowan area in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands was found dead on Saturday morning by paramedics.

The man was identified by the police as 67-year old Edouard Neumeister.

Zikalala called on the law enforcement agencies to work around the clock to ensure that the perpetrator was speedily brought to book.

Zikalala has also requested transport, community safety and liaison MEC Bheki Ntuli as well as agriculture and rural development MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi to work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the safety of rural farming communities is prioritised.

The premier said farm attacks continued to be a serious cause for concern for the provincial government and promised that every effort would be made to ensure the safety of rural farming communities.

“We strongly condemn this senseless and brutal murder of an innocent citizen of our province. We urge our law enforcement agencies to work with speed to ensure that the perpetrator is arrested swiftly and punished,” said Zikalala.

The premier added that violent crime would not be tolerated and warned that those who commit such crimes would be dealt with harshly.

Zikalala has also sent condolences to the family, relatives and friends of Mr Neumeister on behalf of the KZN provincial government.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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