WATCH | Family films EC mayor's violent six-day spree

Controversial Alfred Nzo district mayor Sixolile Mehlomakhulu is the subject of a police investigation after he allegedly went on a violent six-day spree, including assaulting relatives, accusing his sister of witchcraft and damaging property.

Mehlomakhulu allegedly ransacked the family home in KwaBhaca’s Luyengweni village from January 1 to January 6, assaulting and threatening his relatives in the process. Incidents in the six-day spree were secretly recorded by his family. 

While his family said they filed complaints of crimen injuria, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), malicious damage to property, threats and robbery at the KwaBhaca police station, provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Thembinkosi Kinana confirmed only that they were investigating an assault GBH case.

One 23-second video that is circulating has received widespread condemnation.

In the clip Mehlomakhulu is apparently enraged and assaulting a man with a stick while relatives try to break up the fight.

Other clips have surfaced of Mehlomakhulu walking up and down at the family home saying everything in the house — from wardrobes and cupboards to electrical appliances and even the ceiling — belong to him.

On Tuesday morning, the family woke up to find the tyres of a 2019 Toyota Fortuner and a Nissan X-Trail badly damaged.

Mehlomakhulu’s phone was off on Tuesday and he could not be reached for comment by print deadline.

Mehlomakhulu’s sister, Qaqamba, is one of the relatives who opened the case with the police, complaining he and his younger brothers have accused her of witchcraft.

“Sixolile and his young brothers have come to cause trouble in the family home. Sixolile and Sabelo have called me a person who practises witchcraft; that’s an insult.

“We as this family won’t take this lying down. Sixolile is terrorising us and we have recorded everything he has done so that we have documentary proof of how he treats his family,” she told DispatchLIVE.

Talking about the damaged tyres, Qaqamba said: “It could be that a chemical was used to damage the tyres. There's no way that two different vehicles could have punctures at the same time while in the yard. We need this to be investigated.”

Qaqamba accused her brother of stealing her cellphone on which the family had recorded his activities. She said they were unhappy the ANC had not intervened.

But Eastern Cape ANC secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said party provincial bosses had met with the feuding family in a bid to intervene.

“Divisions within the Mehlomakhulu family are very deep. We met as the ANC with all the siblings and their mother and agreed on what needed to be done. It’s unfortunate that the family never heeded the guidance which they themselves had sought.

“Despite all provocations, no leader of the ANC can justify the use of force to solve problems and differences. His personal conduct, as seen in the videos should be strongly condemned; in fact, it’s despicable to say the least,” he told DispatchLIVE.

So will the ANC recall him?

Ngcukayitobi said: “We can once again call on the family members to heal their divisions and act responsibly and unite. When we meet next week, we need to take appropriate remedial processes involving comrade Sixolile.”

This is not Mehlomakhulu’s first brush with the law.

In September, he was slapped with an interim protection order after his mother, Mvulana Sylvia, 87, applied for it, saying the mayor had ransacked her house and removed furniture. At the time, he allegedly also made holes in the water tanks and prevented the family from having a traditional feast.

However, in early December, the court decided against making the order final, saying there was no evidence the mayor had been violent towards his elderly mother.

Alfred Nzo EFF regional chair Mawande Magadla called on the ANC to strip Mehlomakhulu of his mayoral chain, saying it was disgraceful to attack his own family.

“He recently slaughtered eight cattle for his son's initiation — behaviour which is an insult to the families who surround his homestead, as they are among the poorest of the poor,” he added.

Kinana said: “The investigation is under way to establish the circumstances that led to the incident.”