Manguzi - There is outpouring grief in most parts of KwaZulu-Natal following the killing of Judah Mthethwa, a known anti-crime forum member of Manguzi who put up a fierce fight against smugglers of cars stolen in South Africa to Mozambique.
Mthethwa, the chairperson of Umhlabuyalingana Society Against Crime (USAC), was shot dead on Thursday evening, and it is suspected that his killing has to do with his anti-crime stance.
His activism led former president Jacob Zuma to order the government to build a concrete barrier between South Africa and Mozambique (Manguzi) in order to stem the tide against the rampant crime of smuggling stolen cars across the border.
According to a person who was close to Mthethwa and did not want to be named, fearing that the killers may be after him, Mthethwa was killed on Thursday night at his home in Manguzi, along the South Africa-Mozambique in KwaZulu-Natal.
“He had just come back home, and he was offloading his van when they pounced and killed him on the spot and fled.
“We have reasonable suspicion that his killing has to do with his stance against the crime of smuggling stolen cars in the area,” the source told IOL.
BREAKING NEWS: The man whose pleas led to former President Jacob Zuma ordering the government to build a concrete wall between South Africa and Mozambique (Manguzi) in order to stem the tide against the rampant crime of smuggling stolen cars, has been shot dead.
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) February 17, 2023
The Umkhanyakude District, which borders Mozambique, is a smuggling route for stolen vehicles, mainly 4x4s which are then sold in an open market in Mozambique still bearing South African registration plates.
The stolen vehicles come from as far as Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Richards Bay and they are usually smuggled at night.
Recently, the fed-up community of the district blockaded the Hluhluwe-Manguzi Road and burnt down Mozambican registered cars.
In 2017, Zuma visited the area to listen to the community, and he was advised to build a concrete barrier to prevent smugglers from taking the stolen cars over the border.
The project started, but it was later stalled when corruption was uncovered by the Special Investigating Unit when they were alerted by a whistle-blower.
Mourning Mthethwa, the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal said it would take drastic action from all spheres of government to heal the wounds that have been inflicted by a criminal syndicate operating between Umhlabuyalingana and Mozambique.
“The murder of Mr Judah Mthethwa and the loss of innocent lives in various communities as a result of cross-border crime calls for the ANC government to intensify the fight against this scourge.
“Once again, we send our deepest condolences to the Mthethwa family, local community and the community policing forums,” the party said in a statement.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
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