- Gauteng Cogta MEC Lebogang Maile and Ekurhuleni Mayor Mzwandile Masina visited the family of a senior government official who was shot dead in Spruitview over the weekend.
- MEC Maile condemned the brutal murder saying police were expediting its investigation.
- A murder case is being investigated.
The Gauteng provincial government says it has reason to believe that employees of the provincial Department of Human Settlements are being targeted, Cogta MEC Lebogang Maile says.
Maile, Ekurhuleni Mayor Mzwandile Masina and other government officials visited the family home of slain Human Settlements senior official Teboho Makhoa on Monday.
Makhoa was murdered on Friday night after 28 bullets were fired at his vehicle in Spruitview.
He had worked for the provincial government and not Ekurhuleni municipality, Masina clarified during a media briefing outside the home.
READ | Gauteng govt staffer killed after 28 bullets fired at car
Government vowed to leave no stone unturned in ensuring law enforcement arrested those responsible.
Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said they were investigating the murder.
Masondo said police were conducting routine patrols when they noticed a car parked in the middle of Brickfield Road in Vosloorus around midnight.
They found the 52-year-old man shot dead on the driver's seat.
Honest employee
The MEC said:
Maile described Makhoa as an "honest employee", saying that was why he was targeted.
"And this is based on the decisions that we would have made about allocations of houses because there are people who have illegally occupied houses."
The MEC said there were syndicates who were responsible for the invasion of houses, and land.
Masina said he grew up with Makhoa and he was one of the "role models" who went to university first along with other people of his generation.
The mayor said: "Throughout his life, he was a humble servant of the people - he was never corrupt and I am sure in all the investigations it will be clarified that he never got involved in some RDP selling schemes. He is not that kind of person. It was not in his nature. He would not have done that."
Concern
Masina said government wanted the "truth" to come out for the family and children to find closure.
The officials dismissed claims that the official was involved in corrupt acts, with Maile adding that he was never in lists of people whom the department had to act against for corruption purposes.
Maile called on all employees who felt their lives were under threat to report to law enforcement agencies.
He said police would be able to investigate and determine whether employees were indeed in danger.
"We are definitely concerned [about employees] and we take this in a very serious light and that's why we are distraught. What happened to Makhoa shouldn't have happened to him and shouldn't happen to anybody irrespective of whether they work for government or not," Maile said.
