INKATHA Freedom Party councillor and a traditional leader have been arrested for murder.

Councillor Sonto Mabika and headman Joseph Vilane were arrested on Tuesday in Mboza, Mhlabuyalingana, on the outskirts of Zululand .

Their arrest follows the disappearance of a man, suspected to have been one of the people who attacked Mabika, shot him and hijacked his car last month.

The man's body was found by the Ngwavuma police in nearby bushes.

Mabika's brother Scelo, who is also a councillor, confirmed the arrest yesterday. He said though they did not have concrete details, rumours were that, "It was to do with a man who disappeared a while ago".

Mabika said his brother, who is Ward 13 councillor, was attacked twice early last month.

"During the first attack heavily armed men shot him and he spent a week in hospital. A week or two later he was discharged and attacked again.

"The attackers were armed with big firearms but he managed to escape and one suspect was arrested.

"He named the people he was with and one of those people disappeared until he was found dead in the bushes which, we suspec, is why the police arrested my brother," Mabika said.

Mhlabuyalingana municipal manager Eric Manqele said he was aware of the arrest but had not received confirmation from the police or the council.