Durban - IN THE early hours of yesterday morning, the home of ward 10 councillor Thubelihle Dube was set on fire while the family was asleep, leaving his vehicle and parts of the house in Ezitendeni area, Groutville, destroyed.
The KwaDukuza Municipality said the fire department was dispatched to extinguish the blaze, adding that the cause of the incident has not been established.
“The report regarding the reason behind the fire is still sketchy; through the normal processes of the fire department and the police a clear cause will be determined,” said municipality spokesperson Sipho Mkhize.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala confirmed a case of arson was being investigated by KwaDukuza SAPS.
Attacks on political leaders in KZN have been in the spotlight recently following the murder of traditional leader Imbambabukhosi Samson Dlani Buthelezi last week and the attack on DA eThekwini councillor a few weeks ago. The home of ward 9 councillor Nonsikelelo Msomi was shot at four times, but no one was hurt.
The councillor had over the past few months, before the attack, received death threats followed by a bullet that was neatly placed at her front door.
The KZN Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs has condemned acts of intimidation or attacks aimed at public representatives such as councillors, adding that MEC Sipho Hlomuka has consistently called for drastic steps to be taken by law enforcement agencies to apprehend and prosecute anyone responsible for such attacks.
Department spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila said such attacks would not deter the province’s councillors in their task of serving communities. “The department continues to work closely with all municipalities and sister departments to address challenges faced by this sphere of local government. This includes training programmes aimed at strengthening public participation structures in municipalities.”
DA KZN spokesperson on Cogta, Martin Meyer, said traditional and political leaders were living under constant threat, and this was making it difficult for them to perform their duties.
Meyer said the ward 9 incident could have been an effort from the opposition to force the ward to go into a by-election , as it was a tight race in the 2021 local government elections between the ANC and the DA.
Political analyst Bheki Mngomezulu said not all attacks on political leaders have political motives and some are just criminal acts.
However, he said in most cases there are several motives that can be attributed to politics as opposed to a senseless crime.
“Closer to elections it can be seen as an elimination act, one candidate can order a killing to remove their political opponent. In incidents of traditional leaders it is usually plotted by family members who may be next in line to take over the throne, even more so now that the government has recognised traditional leaders.”
Mngomezulu added that money and access pushes people to fight for positions of leadership.