Harry Gwala District Municipality mayor Mluleki Ndobe / (Photo: Facebook / Harry Gwala District Municipality)
How Mluleki Ndobe rose from murder-accused to KZN’s Deputy Speaker
The charges were provisionally withdrawn but his association to crime has raised opposition parties’concerns.
Harry Gwala District Municipality mayor Mluleki Ndobe / (Photo: Facebook / Harry Gwala District Municipality)
Two months after an attempted murder charge was withdrawn against Mluleki Ndobe, he was elected as the KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislature’s Deputy Speaker.
Political parties that occupy the minority of the 80-seat legislature have, as reported by EWN, raised concerns with the African National Congress’ (ANC) disregard of anointing a member who was linked to the murder of its Youth League leader, Sindiso Magaqa.
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Mluleki Ndobe roped in Magaqa murder case
On 13 July 2017, Magaqa was with two colleagues at a shop, in a village near Umzimkhulu, when he was gunned down, an incident that was deemed as a politically-motivated assassination.
Sibonelo Myeza, Mbulelo Mpofana and Mxolisi Ncalane are three suspects that have been charged with the murder of the ANCYL’s general-secretary.
Ndobe too was pursued on the same charges. Investigators followed leads suggesting that the Deputy Speaker was the mastermind behind the hit.
He was arrested on 17 March of this year. However, all charges levelled against him were soon dropped after it was noted that there was a lack of sufficient evidence to link him to the crime.
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Opposition parties criticise ANC’s Deputy Speaker election
The exoneration allowed a path for the newly-elected leader to sit at one of the highest seats in the provincial legislature.
However, opposition parties have contested this, calling for the ANC to reflect on the implications of placing a person linked to violent crimes in the Deputy Speaker role.
“I think their stance was below the belt. To delegate someone and nominate someone in this important position of deputy Speaker and knowing the cloud hanging over him, is a cause for concern,” the DA’s Zwakele Mncwango said.
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Their concerns, unfortunately, will hold no influence in the new deputy’s claim to the position.
The ANC has not made any indications, at this point, that in hindsight, this may have been a bad choice.
