Ex-speaker's murder political?
2009-01-05 19:06
Sydney Masinga & Thobile Mlangeni
Nelspruit - Mpumalanga police are not ruling out the possibility that the murder of a senior political official in Mpumalanga's capital city may be politically motivated.
Jimmy Mohlala, 44, who was the speaker of the Mbombela local municipality in Nelspruit, was gunned down at his house in KaNyamazane on Sunday night, while his 19-year-old son was shot and wounded.
"We are not ruling out that the murder could be politically motivated and are appealing to anyone who might have information to come forward," said KaNyamazane police spokesperson Captain Phillip Fakude on Monday.
He said three suspects attacked Mohlala and his son, who had been sitting outside Mohlala's double-story house and fled on foot, empty-handed.
They first shot his son in his left ankle before shooting Mohlala in the shoulder. Mohlala managed to flee into his garage before dying. His son is recovering in hospital.
Exposed tender irregularities
Early last year, the ANC asked Mohlala to resign as speaker after the municipality was placed under administration by the department of local government and housing.
He had been instrumental in exposing tender irregularities in the R1bn Mbombela 2010 World Cup Stadium, which led to the suspension of some senior officials in the municipality.
Mohlala refused to resign, however, and the ANC had yet to discipline him.
Provincial ANC spokesperson Paul Mbenyane, said on Monday that Mohlala had "defied the order to resign from his post, which is abnormal".
He said the matter was referred to the provincial ANC disciplinary committee (DC), but that the DC was dissolved with the election of new party leadership.
"We are waiting for the first meeting of the new provincial executive committee (PEC) to form a new DC which will take over the matter," he said.
'Too early to speculate'
Mbenyane said it would be irresponsible for anyone to suggest that Mohlala's murder was politically motivated.
"We are very disturbed and shocked to receive this terrible news and we condemn it, but it would be wrong to speculate that this is politically motivated.
"Only police investigations can determine (the motive). We would also like to send our condolences to the family and friends of the comrade and we also hope that the police find who ever did this," Mbenyane said.
Provincial leader of the Democratic Alliance Anthony Benadie described Mohlala as a no nonsense man who opposed corruption.
"This is absolutely a political assassination if you look at the division within the ruling party and the fact that Mohlala was against the tender irregularities and corruption at the 2010 Mbombela stadium," Benadie said.
