The Speaker of the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality at Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape has been shot dead.
Provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Sibongile Soci, said Thozama Njobe, was shot late on Monday night in Fort Beaufort.
She said a manhunt has been launched for her killer.
"It is alleged that was she shot at close range by an unknown person, while she and another person were driving from a gathering in New Town, Fort Beaufort," said Soci.
She said Njobe sustained wounds in the upper body and was taken to hospital for medical attention where she was certified dead on arrival.
Eastern Cape Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga, said: "seasoned detectives assigned to investigate the murder of Thozama Njobe will work around the clock to follow up all information and leads in the case to ensure that the suspect is arrested and brought to justice."
"We request the Fort Beaufort community to stand up together and provide the police with information on the identity and whereabouts of the perpetrator and any information that will assist with the investigation", she said.
DA councillor in the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality, Cecilia Freestone Auld said that she was "shocked and saddened" by Njobe's murder.
In a message on Facebook, she said that Njobe "was a lady of class and so keen to root out corruption and do the right thing."
"No doubt faction fighting had a role to play here. Challenging days lie ahead as councillors in opposition we will have to be cautious," wrote Freestone Auld.
The SACP in the Eastern Cape condemned Njobe’s murder saying “we are calling on law enforcement authorities to act swiftly in bringing the perpetrators of the atrocious crime to book,” said SACP Siyabonga Mdodi.
“As the SACP, we condemn this atrocious act of what appears to be an assassination. We hope this is not linked to factional proxy battles and politics of rent-seeking in the ANC,” Mdodi said.
“Our province has always been characterized by the culture of political tolerance, and so it should remain. In the event that this may be linked to any form of political intolerance whether within or outside the congress movement, it will be representing an unfortunate departure from how the province has always been politically,” he said.
