KZN cabinet orders probe into probe political killings

The KwaZulu-Natal government will launch a commission of inquiry into political killings in the run-up to the recent local government elections.

Durban - KwaZulu-Natal's provincial government is set to launch a commission of inquiry into political killings that rocked the province in the run up to the recent local government elections held on August 3.

The decision was taken at a provincial cabinet meeting, according to a statement released by the office of the KwaZulu-Natal premier Willies Mchunu.

According to the statement 12 members of the African National Congress have been killed, three each from the National Freedom Party and the Inkatha Freedom Party ad two members of the South African Communist Party. “The processes of setting up this commission are continuing. These include making a presentation before the Provincial Legislature and consultation with political leaders through the MultiParty Intervention Committee,” Mchunu said. “In addition, we will consult with religious, traditional and other leaders of society to ensure that the process is inclusive.”

Mchunu announced in July that he intended setting up such a commission, following calls from the ANC to do so. Exactly who will head up the inquiry or its terms of reference still have to be determined. Also it is not clear what time frame exists for the commission of inquiry.

The reports of at least two recent commissions of inquiry ordered by the former KwaZulu-Natal premier Senzo Mchunu have never been made public, despite assurances that they would be. The findings of a commission of inquiry into a December 2012 incident where eight potential recruits for the province's traffic police died during a fitness test, has never been released in full.

Another is the commission of inquiry that was launched to investigate allegations of corruption and mismanagement by the KwaZulu-Natal health department's former head of department Dr Sibongile Zungu. Both commissions wrapped up their work more than a year ago.

African News Agency