Polokwane Mayor’s safety at stake after death threats

Polokwane Executive Mayor Thembi Nkadimeng temporarily vacated her office last Friday pending an investigation and security assessment by the Police after she received death threats that were communicated to her last Thursday and Friday via postings on social media, urging users to “Kill the Mayor of Polokwane Municipality”, “Kill her children” and “Burn her house”. The postings were removed after it were posted and the names of the persons involved are being withheld pending verification.
The ANC in Limpopo issued a statement on Tuesday, saying that it received a complaint from Nkadimeng concerning threats of violence against her and her immediate family. “She has also briefed us about the criminal complaint she has laid with the South African Police Service (SAPS). From her complaint, it is clear that the intimidation arises from differences in service delivery approaches in her work as a deployee of the ANC in Polokwane Municipality and it is not related to any ANC conference leadership preferences. Whilst the ANC supports the initiative she has taken of reporting the matter to law enforcement agencies, the relevant structures of the ANC will take the necessary steps as provided for in our Constitution,” the statement read.
At time of going to print, Police Spokesperson Moatshe Ngoepe confirmed that a case was registered but no arrests had been made and that the case was still under investigation. “The motive behind these threats is still unknown but the Police investigations will tell as they unfold,” Ngoepe said.

Story: BARRY VILJOEN
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