Man surrenders over NFP murders

The suspect is an NFP member

A man has handed himself to the police in connection with the murders of three NFP members this year, the party’s provincial secretary said on Tuesday.

He surrendered at the Greytown police station on Monday, said National Freedom Party provincial secretary Vusimuzi Khoza.

Khoza said the man was an NFP member.

  Lt-Col Vincent Mdunge said the man would appear in the Tugela Ferry Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, along with four other people.

NFP councillor Isaac Thulebona Nhlebela was shot dead in a drive-by shooting on July 6.  He was in his car on his way to collect firewood with his two children when he was attacked on the Nquthu main road, a few kilometres from Dundee.

Nonsindiso Dlamini, 22, Mkhonzeni Luthuli, 37, Mlindeli Mchunu, 31, and Mzonjani Mgwabe, 40, were arrested later that day in connection with the murder, and have since appeared in the Tugela Ferry Magistrate’s Court.

In May, two NFP members were murdered in an ambush and another was seriously injured in Msinga, northern KwaZulu-Natal. Bongani Shelembe, chairman of the Msinga branch, and youth secretary Lungisile Zuma were shot dead while they were driving back from a constituency meeting. Thulephi Mbatha was seriously wounded.

Khoza said the party was shocked at the latest development.

“The fact that police were looking for the man and that he handed himself over means they have concrete evidence against him.

“As a party we are very worried that our members are being killed.” 

Khoza said NFP members would attend the appearance of the man and the other four accused in the Tugela Ferry Magistrate’s Court, and would demand that they be denied bail.

About 22 NFP members have been killed since the party came to being on January 25, 2011.