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Municipal official's murder 'a mafia plot'

Another government official has been killed in Mpumalanga in what the SA Communist Party (SACP) has labelled "a clear mafia-style assassination connected to corruption" in the province.

Moreko Mahlobogoana, 36, was shot once in the head and his body was found in the Siyabuswa graveyard on Friday while his car was abandoned in Waterval section of Siyabuswa on the same day.

Mahlobogoana worked in the Dr JS Moroka local municipality's finance department.

Municipal manager Benny Mahlangu said yesterday he was shocked when police called to inform him of the murder .

"Police asked me if I know anyone who might have been following him because the way he was killed really raises questions," said Mahlangu.

SACP provincial secretary Bonakele Majuba said: "The way Moreko was killed is a clear assassination. In municipalities in Mpumalanga, people are being killed and no one gets arrested. Jimmy [Mohlala] was killed in the Mbombela municipality.

"In Gert Sibande a deputy mayor was killed, now Moreko. No!"

Majuba said as long as the killers of Mohlala and Bomba Ntshangase (an SACP provincial official) have not been apprehended there would be killers who are encouraged, that if you kill someone in Mpumalanga you do not get arrested.

"We are calling for the national leadership to make sure that they uproot all the political killings in the province," said Majuba.

According to Mpumalanga police, the killers of the municipal employee were unknown and had asked for the community's help to arrest the suspects.

Mpumalanga police spokesman Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said police believed Mahlobogoana's killing might be associated with issues in the municipality, internally and outside.

"We are asking for anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact the Siyabuswa police station at (013) 973-1301," said Mohlala.

Political killings in Mpumalanga attracted the attention of then national police commissioner General Bheki Cele and prompted him to appoint 12 highly trained investigators to deal with them in 2012.

However, the report on the killings had not been made public and Majuba called for it to be released.

Since 1998 more than 10 politicians have been killed in Mpumalanga, including Ntsangase.

In January 2009, Mohlala, who was speaker of the Mbombela local municipality, was gunned down at his home.

A year later, in January 2010, sports, arts and culture department spokesman Sammy Mpatlanyane was also gunned down.

Mohlala's murder was associated with the construction of the R1.2-billion Mbombela Stadium built for the 2010 World Cup. He was killed days before he could make public revelations about alleged corruption in the project.

newsdesk@sowetan.co.za

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