Durban - Msunduzi Municipality councillors will dedicate an hour of the council sitting on Thursday to pay homage to slain councillor Mabhungu Mkhize.
Municipality spokesperson Ntobeko Mkhize indicated on Wednesday that the council sitting at Pietermaritzburg City Hall will also be attended by the Mkhize family.
“Council sittings take place on the last Thursday of the month and from the meeting in which the funeral arrangements were discussed, it was agreed that some time from the council schedule will be used as a show of respect to the late councillor,” said the spokesperson.
Mkhize’s killing by gunmen in Imbali township on August 25 has sparked fears and led to calls in some quarters for protection to be provided to councillors.
Msunduzi mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla said Mkhize’s death had deprived the KwaZulu-Natal capital of one of the brightest rising stars who was committed to the development of his community. “Councillor Mkhize leaves behind a legacy of unwavering commitment and service all for the betterment of his community and the organisation the ANC. His absence will be deeply felt.
“We commend the prompt response by law enforcement which led to the arrest of the three suspects,” said the mayor on Wednesday.
South African Local Government Association (Salga) chairperson in KZN, Thami Ntuli, said the killing demonstrated how dangerous the situation had become, especially for public figures.
“This horrific incident is a stark reminder of the grave challenges facing our public servants and the dangerous environments in which they sometimes operate. We cannot and will not tolerate such acts of violence against those who have been elected to serve our communities,” said Ntuli, who is also the mayor of King Cetshwayo District Municipality.
He expressed Salga KZN’s full support to law enforcement agencies in their efforts to investigate the killing, and called on National Police Minister Bheki Cele to deploy high-level police investigators to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Drastic measures are imperative to ensure the safety and security of our councillors and public servants. These incidents of violence against councillors are not isolated. They form part of a disturbing pattern of attacks on our elected representatives,” Ntuli stressed.
The municipality has also indicated that a memorial service will be held on Friday at Imbali Unit 14 community hall ahead of the funeral service on Sunday.