"We hope that what is happening in KZN will come to an end and will not spill over to Gauteng and other areas"

Political killings will not help develop the nation, said National Freedom Party (NFP) President Zanele Magwaza-Msibi in Johannesburg on Sunday.

“Political killings will not build the nation...it will not end raging poverty and unemployment, but it will create serious problems for our country as it will scare-off much needed investors,” said Magwaza-Msibi.

“Political party supporters must stop insulting leaders from other political parties as this leads to violence.” 

Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) member Siya Dlamini was shot dead outside the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court on Monday in view of bystanders and police who had been deployed there because of the volatile political situation.

A week prior to this incident, IFP Ward 39 councillor Themba Xulu was abducted and killed in Mthunzini. His body was found in a sugarcane field at Inanda.  

In another politically motivated killing, Cebisile Shezi, wearing an IFP t-shirt, was shot dead near the Thembalihle train station in KwaMashu while another woman was grazed in the face by a bullet.  

Wearing her hat as the mayor of Zululand, Magwaza-Msibi was speaking at an Integrated Development Plan roadshow in Soweto where she addressed the crowd on development projects and plans and the budget in the five regions of the Zululand District Municipality.

“As a leader of the NFP I want to state that I condemn and abhor political violence as it will take us back to the violent past,” she said.

“Some of you who are present here lost their fathers, their mothers and relatives as a result of black-on-black political violence between the ANC and the IFP. We hope that what is happening in KZN will come to an end and will not spill over to Gauteng and other areas.”