File
The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Barbara Creecy, has expressed condolences to the family of the chairperson of the Black Fishers' Association, Xola Ngcangca.
He was gunned down outside his home in KwaDwesi in Ggqeberha on Wednesday.
Creecy says Ngcongca's death is a blow for small-scale fishers and to the entire fishing community.
"The murder of a man who was working towards improving the lives of especially small-scale fishers is a shock to all within the fishing community. Ngcangca was committed to the transformation of the fishing sector, and fought for the protection of the rights of fishers at all levels, Creecy said.
The Minister said his contribution to a sector that has the potential to contribute to job creation and economic growth in communities along South Africa's vast coastline is to be commended and will be sorely missed."
Minister Creecy said under Ngcangca's leadership, the Eastern Cape Black Fishers Association had been involved in the development of knowledge and skills of small-scale fishers, traders, and processors, to improve the standards, fish handling, and ultimately improved businesses.
Police spokesperson, Colonel Priscilla Naidu, said people in Mkwenkwe Street in Kwadwesi heard gunshots after 7 pm on Wednesday.
"When they went out to investigate, they found a male lying a few metres from his car which was parked outside his gate. He sustained a gunshot wound to the head," Naidu said.
She said the motive for the murder is not yet known.
