Exposing poor service delivery, allegations of fraud and corruption in Mbizana wards, has left one ANC member missing for 10 months. His two comrades have fled after receiving death threats.
One ANC man has been missing since the December 2017 ANC Nasrec conference, a second person was forced into hiding after he was shot and wounded, and a third person was sent pictures of people who had been shot dead.
All three matters are now under investigation by law enforcement agencies, who were alerted by Durban-based community activist Vanessa Burger.
Burger said a hit list of so-called troublemakers in the local municipality, which forms part of the Alfred Nzo district municipality, was doing the rounds and the three were said to be the “ringleaders”.
“The police should act as these people reported allegations of corruption at Mbizana local municipality,” said Burger.
She has forwarded the information to the provincial police to investigate, who confirmed this but declined to give details on the cases.
Bongile Tshepo Hlambelo, 36, of ward 6 in Mbizana local municipality, disappeared and was never seen again after attending the Nasrec ANC conference in December, where he was offered a job of “beefing up security”.
His disappearance came barely five months after his close friend, also from ward 6, was shot several times in Mlazi, Durban in July 2017.
The shooting victim, who spoke on condition of anonymity, survived and fled with his family.
“After my friend went missing, my family had to move out of Bizana. I was shot five months before they came for him. I am not big in politics but I supported my friend’s stand against corruption,” he said.
The third person, from ward 8, ran for his life after he was sent pictures of dead people from an unknown phone number.
“Those pictures left me so scared I could not do anything but leave Bizana,” said the man, who is not being identified for his safety.
All three have complained about corruption in the municipality and accused municipal officials and ward councillors of colluding with unscrupulous service providers, voicing dissatisfaction at a number of projects that are incomplete yet are paid for.
They complained about dirty drinking water, broken RDP houses, poor electrification, a neglected community hall, lack of proper roads and a need for speed bumps on the main road.
“If we protest we are shot at by VIP police from the municipality and called ringleaders,” said the ward 8 man.
Bizana municipal manager Luvuyo Mahlaka denied it all, saying service delivery was key in their municipality and he was not aware of any “displacement of people”.
“There is no truth in this. Our VIP unit only goes to communities when they accompany political principals. They do not target anyone,” he added.
Mahlaka said projects in all 31 wards of Mbizana were implemented evenly and according to the municipal prioritisation.
Bizana police spokesperson Warrant Officer Zilungile Nkamba said Hlambelo’s case was being investigated...