Parliament, Wednesday, 1 November 2023 – The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs is saddened by the brutal killing of Inkosi Siphamandla Khumalo and his wife MaDlamini Khumalo in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) over the weekend.
The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Fikile Xasa, called on law-enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in exposing the perpetrators of this heinous assassination of these great leaders of the people and bringing them to face the full might of the law. Mr Xasa also appealed to anyone with information that might lead to the arrest of the alleged perpetrators to cooperate with law-enforcement agencies.
“The successful arrest of the perpetrators and securing their prosecution depends, to a greater extent, on the cooperation of the law-enforcement agencies and the people who have information. We are calling on the people of KZN to come together to fight and remove this culture of the killing of people by other people for whatever reasons.”
Mr Xasa said the committee extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Inkosi Khumalo and his wife Queen Khumalo and wish them strength during this difficult time. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Khumalo family and their friends. May the souls of Inkosi Khumalo and MaDlamini rest in eternal peace,” said Mr Xasa.
Inkosi Khumalo and Queen Khumalo are two of several killings of traditional leaders in KZN municipalities. Two weeks ago, the committee received a report from the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) on the killing of councilors, municipal officials and traditional leaders in parts of the Eastern Cape and KZN.
The committee is committed to developing an action plan to deal with these killings. It has also called on law enforcement agencies to deal swiftly with cases involving the killing of traditional leaders to ensure that justice triumphs. This will also assist their families to find healing of their deep wounds on the death of their loved ones.
The committee has started a process of engaging with the stakeholders it believes are part of the roadmap towards the development of the action plan. These stakeholders include the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, law enforcement agencies, civil society, faith-based organisations, rate-payers associations and traditional leaders. The committee hopes that starting a conversation with these stakeholders on this painful topic will be a step towards the curbing of the violence.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS, MR FIKILE XASA.
For media enquiries, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Ms Faith Ndenze
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 8062
Cell: 081 377 0686
Email: fndenze@parliament.gov.za
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