Cops hunt for killers of Free State senior municipal official gunned down while leaving work

A senior manager in the Infrastructure department at Mangaung Metro Municipality was shot and killed while leaving his workplace in Mangaung, Free State on Wednesday afternoon.

South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson, Captain Lorraine Earle said the victim had been driving out of the parking lot just before 4pm when he came under fire.

“He was driving in his vehicle with a colleague when an unknown shooter approached the car and allegedly fired shots at the driver’s side,” said Earle.

Police discovered four empty cartridges beside the vehicle.

“The 48-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. His colleague did not sustain any injuries, but was treated for shock.”

Police are investigating a case of murder, and no arrests had been made by Friday morning, as police investigate further.

In a similar case in September 2023, Khumbulani Khumalo, who was the manager of Community Services in eThekwini Municipality’s Water and Sanitation Department, was shot dead while seated in a government vehicle in Inanda, north of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

The Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) revealed that Khumalo had sustained two lethal gunshot wounds to the head.

Political parties in the municipality called for a thorough investigation into the murder. The then-mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Mxolisi Kaunda, urged law enforcement agencies to pursue those responsible for Khumalo’s assassination.

IOL