Miraculous Escape: ANC Councillor Mzwandile ‘Nganono’ Shandu Survives Assassination Bid
In a twist of fate, another ANC councillor in KwaZulu-Natal has narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, just a month after a fellow party councillor faced a similar danger in the same region.
Mzwandile ‘Nganono’ Shandu finds himself counting his blessings after surviving an audacious assassination bid this past Sunday.
A Brush with Death: ANC Councillor Survives Assassination Attempt
In a daring incident that unfolded on Sunday night in Durban, Shandu managed to dodge a barrage of bullets aimed at him. The remarkable part is that Shandu is currently in hiding, as the Mkhambathini municipality stripped him of his protective detail.
Presently, the motives behind this attack on Shandu remain unclear. While he managed to emerge unscathed from this life-threatening encounter, his vehicle ended up being riddled with bullet holes.
Shadows of the Past: Legal Troubles Haunt Surviving Councillor
Interestingly, Mzwandile Shandu secured R2,000 bail after his appearance in the Umlazi magistrate’s court in January last year, where he was facing charges of attempted murder. Appearing beside his co-accused nephew, Mlondisi Shandu, the two were implicated in a case involving attempted murder and breaking and entering with the intention of committing a crime.
The alleged victim was a family member of an ANC affiliate who aspired to become a ward councillor in Mid-Illovo’s Ward 7—coincidentally the same ward where Mzwandile held his position as councillor.
According to accounts, on a day in August last year, the accused forcefully entered the residence of the intended target in uMlazi G-section.
Their aim was to locate the man in question, yet they encountered two adolescents aged 14 and 16 instead. After interrogating the young pair about their father’s whereabouts, they purportedly resorted to shooting the teenagers when their answers proved unhelpful. The family had sought refuge there after fleeing from Mid-Illovo.
Under Siege: ANC Councillors Facing Escalating Threats
A recent episode involves another ANC councillor, this time in the City of Umhlathuze (Richards Bay-Empangeni) in the northern precinct of KwaZulu-Natal. Lindo Ndloivy from Ward 13 (Mpembeni) had a narrow escape in July, surviving a shooting incident while driving from his residence. Although he emerged from the ordeal unhurt, his vehicle bore the brunt of the attack, sustaining numerous bullet impacts.
Rising Toll: Alarming Statistics on Councillor Assassinations
A report published by the provincial SA Local Government Association (Salga) in June of the present year disclosed that, since the preceding September, KwaZulu-Natal had mourned the loss of 39 councillors, with a staggering 17 of those casualties attributed to assassinations. Of the remaining fatalities, three resulted from car accidents, two were attributed to suicides, and 17 were due to natural causes.