A SENIOR member of Cope and ex-ANC Youth League executive James Nkambule was arrested yesterday.

Nkambule's arrest at his Barberton home in Mpumalanga is allegedly connected to the hit list saga after the murder of politicians in the province.

Plain-clothes police in a convoy of 10 cars arrived at Nkambule's home, attracting a lot of attention from neighbours.

Neighbours told Sowetan the police opened the gate and walked straight to Nkambule's house at about 8.30am.

A neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said a few minutes later the police came out with the politician.

"He shouted at the police, demanding to know 'what do you want from me? What do you want from me?'" the neighbour said..

She said a police officer was overheard telling Nkambule that he was going to explain where the hit list he had been speaking about on radio and in the newspapers came from.

"I heard a policeman saying you will also show us the house of a top ANC politician where you claimed meetings were held," the source said.

She said some of the police officers were wearing jeans and T-shirts with the word HAWKS on them.

Provincial police spokes-person Senior Superintendent Sibongile Nkosi confirmed the arrest.

"I can confirm that we have arrested a suspect for defeating the ends of justice, fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud."

Asked whether the arrest had something to do with the infamous hit list in the province, Nkosi said that would form part of the investigation but refused to elaborate further.

The hit list contained the names of several people, some of whom have already been killed, including Mbombela municipality speaker Jimmy Mohlala.

He was shot dead at his home in KaNyamazane in January last year.