The O.R Tambo District Municipality has joined hands with the members of the community to reiterate the call for an end to violence in the communities in the OR Tambo district and surrounding areas.
The district had noted, with worry, the escalating incidents of brutal murders in and around Mthatha by unknown gunmen since last month.
According to a statement issued by the head of communications in O.R Tambo District Municipality, Zimkitha Macingwane, the employees of this municipality took to the streets of Mthatha last week Wednesday in a peaceful walk calling for #Justice for Hlehle, before the official memorial service of Namhla Mtwa.
Mtwa, known as Hlehle, was gunned down at the gate of her home in Mthatha, about two weeks ago.
She was working for the district municipality as an assistant accountant for the past 10 years.
The Executive Mayor for OR Tambo District Municipality, Mesuli Ngqondwana, assured the mourners, including Mtwa’s family, that the district municipality was working with the relevant law enforcement agencies, traditional leaders and civic organisations to put an end to the spate of killings in Mthatha.
“Merciless killings have robbed many people of their sisters, colleagues, friends, spouses and people they love.
“We are confronted with an extraordinary circumstance that has gone as far as resulting to our losing 11 souls to the barrel of a gun in a short space of time,” said Ngqondwana. He said that many of the murders were unsolved, with no arrests made.
He urged community members to revive ‘ubuntu’ so that people could be able to live in harmony and in peace. He also made a clarion call to human beings to value life.
He said Mtwa’s death was a loss to the municipality and to the community and there should be no stone unturned until the perpetrator(s) responsible for her death and the death of other members of the community were brought to book. Ngqondwana also conveyed a message of condolence to the members of the community who lost their lives in the hands of unknown gunmen.
He then urged members of the community to remain extra vigilant while the suspects were still on the run.
