Twenty five minutes later‚ Tshibase had been gunned down by still unknown assailants while trying to open the gate to the home.
Diko‚ who works as a personal assistant in the Umkimkhulu Municipality‚ had no doubt in her mind that her fiance’s killing was a “political assassination”‚ because he had told her that he had enemies with the ANC.
However he didn't name anyone.
“He said he was trying to protect me from things that were happening in politics. He highlighted things‚ but would not tell me in specific details‚” Diko testified.
After he was appointed as PR councillor after the August 2016 local government elections‚ he told Diko that there were people within the ANC who did not want him in the position‚ even as some people in the community backed him.
“He didn’t specify what was happening in the ANC. But he never hid that things were not nice in the ANC” said Diko.
She told the commission that it had even become difficult for them to communicate over the phone as Tshibase suspected that his phone may have been bugged.
“He preferred we met in person. Even when he visited us‚ he didn’t stay until late. After the killing of Thobela‚ he was afraid of driving late‚” she said.
When asked by commissioner Professor Cheryl Potgieter what Tshibase was doing that upset particular people within the ANC‚ Diko said: “He used to say he would die for the truth. He was not the type of person who would be easily influenced but would stand for the truth. He did what he believed was right and he couldn’t lie. He was a principled man and man of integrity.”
Diko described slain ANC Youth League leader Sindiso Magaqa as Tshibase’s “political comrade".
Asked why she believed that Tshibase’s killing was politically motivated‚ Diko said it was because he did not mention any enemies at school where he worked as a teacher.
“He said he had enemies in politics. He mentioned to me that his phone had been bugged. Sometimes when he sent me an SMS it didn’t come through. Then another person said to him Nondaba this phone has been bugged and that’s why he was cautious to talk on the phone‚" she said.
The commission is expected to resume its hearings on Tuesday next week‚ with the Economic Freedom Fighters expected to give its take on political killings in the province.
My fiance's murder was political‚ KZN woman tells Moerane Commission
Slain Umzimkhulu councillor Mduduzi Tshibase’s fiance‚ Phumza Diko‚ broke down while testifying at the Moerane Commission in Durban on Tuesday as she recounted the pain of losing the father of their 19-month-old child.
The commission‚ investigating political killings in KwaZulu-Natal‚ had to take a short break to allow an emotional Diko to compose herself before continuing with her testimony‚ which lasted less than an hour.
Tshibase‚ 39‚ a teacher and ANC councillor in the Umzimkhulu Municipality in southern KZN‚ was gunned down on May 23 last year as he entered his home in Gugwini village outside Umzimkhulu. He was shot four times in the chest.
His murder followed that of Umzimkhulu Municipality speaker and ANC deputy secretary in the Harry Gwala region‚ Khaya Thobela‚ who was shot dead exactly a month earlier on April 23.
“It’s so painful to lose him because he was everything at home. He was the breadwinner. It’s painful to lose him at my age. His child will grow up without knowing his father‚” said Diko.
She told the commission that she had last spoken to Tshibase at around 6:05pm on the day he was killed. In the call‚ he told her that he was on his way home after attending a meeting.
KZN ANCYL executive gunned down at his home
Twenty five minutes later‚ Tshibase had been gunned down by still unknown assailants while trying to open the gate to the home.
Diko‚ who works as a personal assistant in the Umkimkhulu Municipality‚ had no doubt in her mind that her fiance’s killing was a “political assassination”‚ because he had told her that he had enemies with the ANC.
However he didn't name anyone.
“He said he was trying to protect me from things that were happening in politics. He highlighted things‚ but would not tell me in specific details‚” Diko testified.
After he was appointed as PR councillor after the August 2016 local government elections‚ he told Diko that there were people within the ANC who did not want him in the position‚ even as some people in the community backed him.
“He didn’t specify what was happening in the ANC. But he never hid that things were not nice in the ANC” said Diko.
She told the commission that it had even become difficult for them to communicate over the phone as Tshibase suspected that his phone may have been bugged.
“He preferred we met in person. Even when he visited us‚ he didn’t stay until late. After the killing of Thobela‚ he was afraid of driving late‚” she said.
When asked by commissioner Professor Cheryl Potgieter what Tshibase was doing that upset particular people within the ANC‚ Diko said: “He used to say he would die for the truth. He was not the type of person who would be easily influenced but would stand for the truth. He did what he believed was right and he couldn’t lie. He was a principled man and man of integrity.”
Diko described slain ANC Youth League leader Sindiso Magaqa as Tshibase’s “political comrade".
Asked why she believed that Tshibase’s killing was politically motivated‚ Diko said it was because he did not mention any enemies at school where he worked as a teacher.
“He said he had enemies in politics. He mentioned to me that his phone had been bugged. Sometimes when he sent me an SMS it didn’t come through. Then another person said to him Nondaba this phone has been bugged and that’s why he was cautious to talk on the phone‚" she said.
The commission is expected to resume its hearings on Tuesday next week‚ with the Economic Freedom Fighters expected to give its take on political killings in the province.
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