He is facing charges of murder related to the killings of fellow National Freedom Party (NFP) councillors Bongani Shelembe of Msinga and Isaac Nhlebela of Nquthu. Nhlebela was chairman of the Nquthu constituency in Umzinyathi district and was gunned down near Hazeldene farm at Nquthu on July 6.

Mkhize has been in custody since July, but taxpayers are still paying his full salary with all other benefits.

Municipal spokesman Jeff Hassan yesterday confirmed that Mkhize was still on the council's payroll.

"While the matter is sub judice to talk about, it is however safe to say that yes, he is still on the municipal payroll," Hassan said.

Hassan explained that shortly after Mkhize was arrested in July, they received a letter from his lawyer warning them that it would be improper to summarily suspend him or his salary until the court has found him guilty. He said they had not received a directive from the NFP that they had suspended Mkhize.

"Based on the letter, our hands are tied. We can't really do anything because we can be sued.

"We have to keep him on our payroll until such time that the court has ruled on the charges against him," he said.

NFP general secretary Nhlanhla Khubisa could neither confirm nor deny the suspension of Mkhize.

"We will make a pronouncement on that by the end of the week," Khubisa said.

Provincial department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs spokesman Lennox Mabaso said they were following up the matter.

"All our actions in the first place are guided by the constitution which presumes that everyone is innocent until found guilty," Mabaso said.

Mkhize, a senior NFP leader in the uMzinyathi district, and fellow councillor Mkhonzeni Ntuli are also facing two additional attempted murder charges.

Last month, 28-year-old Khawulani Mkhize who participated in a murder linked to a "scramble for positions" in the NFP, was sentenced to 18 years after pleading guilty to the murder of Nhlebela.

He told the court that he had been hired by the deputy mayor to transport the killers. He did not personally take part in shooting Nhlebela. Mkhize said he had approached the deputy mayor in June, asking for a job. He said at the time that he was willing to do any job because his family was starving.

Comments

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Sun May 26 11:28:24 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 10, 2012

MorenaWaPolelo

Perhaps the reason he is still paid is because he is not yet proven guilty, but my question is why do they need to have a deputy mayor????? or his function was to commit those crimes??
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Oct 10, 2012

Tlakenyobehle!

we know he is not the only one many of them he wil die but stil be paid to the graveyard
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Oct 10, 2012

KGS000

SA alive with possibilities
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Oct 10, 2012

!!!Sinudeity!!!

Wonder if all the violence in KZN has to do with Mangaung, or if its merely rivalry between IFP/NFP and ANC.
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Oct 10, 2012

McCountryMan

Mzansi fo sho
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Oct 10, 2012

MommaC

I don't see the problem with the idea of 'presumed innocent until proven guilty'. I do have a huge problem with it taking years and years to do so
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Oct 10, 2012

Mgaraji

Sowetan if you were intrested in giving us information, you should have quoted act/law that is broken by paying someone who is facing murder charge instead you chose to play with our emotions. Being charged does not mean one is guilty.
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Oct 10, 2012

ThirdEye

It is now clear that it not only ANC members who kill each other, but even IFP & NFP. The DA will be next in KZN, fight for position & money is the root.
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Oct 10, 2012

Mfan'omnyama

@Tlakenyobehle! Oh, what a weird name.
Tlakenyobehle...pleeeease...

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Oct 10, 2012

oldlady12

Mgaraji, agree with you, but fully agree with MommaC. Maybe special courts for government and municipal criminal cases so the case can get finished quickly, and no one gets a salary for 5 years and is then found guilty. The expense for the special courts will surely be a lot less than paying people for years for nothing.
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