Newcastle Local Municipality mayor, Dr Nthuthuko Mahlaba, was remanded in custody on Monday after being charged with the murder of a regional African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) leader in 2016 and the attempted murder of another.
Mahlaba made his first appearance at the Madadeni Magistrate’s Court for his alleged part in the murder of Wandile Ngubeni, who was the deputy chairperson of the youth league for the region.
The mayor is facing murder, attempted murder, and two counts of conspiring to commit murder.
A heavily armed police contingent escorted Mahlaba to court as hundreds of protestors gathered in the area. One group held signs reading: "Hands off our mayor", while another group, many of them ANCYL members, called for bail to be denied.
The case was remanded until Monday for a formal bail application.
The 28-year-old Ngubeni was shot dead in May 2016, while he was socialising with a group of friends.
According to eyewitnesses speaking at the time of the incident, two men entered a tavern and opened fire, fatally wounding Ngubeni and wounding ANCYL regional secretary Mafika Mndebele.
Barely two months after Ngubeni was murdered, eMalahleni ward 6 candidate-councillor Thembi Mbongwa, 35, was shot dead at her home in front of her husband and children.
The year 2016 was a particularly brutal one for political killings in KwaZulu-Natal, which prompted premier Willes Mchunu to establish the Moerane Commission of Inquiry, tasked with investigating the underlying cause of the killings.
According to figures provided by police, 14 murders, thought to be politically motivated, took place between May 2016 and July 2016.
- African News Agency (ANA);
