News24 | KZN traditional leader survives assassination attempt – MEC calls for probe into safety

MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Thulasizwe Buthelezi said the assassination attempt on Inkosi Simphiwe Cele of the Vukuzithathe Traditional Authority took place on Tuesday.

• KwaZulu-Natal traditional leader Inkosi Simphiwe Cele has survived an apparent hit.
• The shooting, which left one person dead, is the second such incident in two months.
• Cogta MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi has called for a full review of the safety of Amakhosi.

A KwaZulu-Natal traditional leader has survived an attempt on his life following a shooting in eZinqoleni in the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality.

This is the second such attack in two months, with a traditional leader killed at his Durban home last month.

MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Thulasizwe Buthelezi said the assassination attempt on Inkosi Simphiwe Cele of the Vukuzithathe Traditional Authority took place on Tuesday.

“This attack… is very concerning as it paints a picture of a growing trend of violence targeting Amakhosi and other figures within the institution of traditional leadership,” he said.

According to reports received by Buthelezi’s department, Inkosi Cele was travelling with two people when gunmen opened fire on his vehicle. One person was killed, while Cele and the other passenger suffered injuries.

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Buthelezi has called upon law enforcement agencies to deploy all necessary resources to apprehend those responsible for this senseless act.

The police had not commented at the time of publication.

The MEC said the attack “is an affront to peace and stability within the province by forces hell-bent on creating instability within the province and the institution of traditional leadership”.

Buthelezi has also tasked the department to conduct a full review of the safety of Amakhosi in conjunction with other line function departments and law enforcement agencies, as “this incident marks a trend of increased attacks on Amakhosi and various community leaders”.

Last month, Induna Aaron Gwala, of the Gwala Traditional Authority in eThekwini, was shot and killed at his home by gunmen.