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An Mpumalanga ANC and economic transformation activist who survived a hail of bullets recently in what is suspected to be a political hit is reportedly in hiding and police are struggling to find him.
Practical Radical Economic Transformation (Pret) secretary, Sunday Mathebula, was shot and was admitted to an unspecified hospital in Gauteng. However, when police went to talk to him and take a statement they found out he had been discharged. His family has allegedly refused them access to him.
It is unclear where Mathebula, who is a resident of Emalahleni, came across the assassins but he was dumped at Ekangala Industrial Park near Bronkhorstspruit after the shooting.
Police are still investigating the incident and they cannot yet break down the mystery shrouding the attempt on Mathebula’s life. However, speculation on the ground is that Mathebula’s shooting could be related to Pret’s growing influence in politics and activism in the economic sector.
“We did visit a hospital where the victim was admitted, but did not find him”, said Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Leonard Hlathi.
“All we can confirm is that an attempted murder case was opened in Bronkhortspruit and the case was been transferred to Vosman police station in Emalahleni. Other than that, details are still sketchy,” Hlathi said. He could not confirm how many bullets Mathebula survived.
A wild and unsubstantiated allegation circulating on social media is that Mathebula had R2 million cash on him when he was shot. Pret is known for dishing out R100 notes “for lunch” to its members when holding meetings. Such flaunting of money has been captured in videos and photos.
Since Mathebula’s shooting, Pret president Themba Sigudla has also gone underground and his cellphone was switched off.
Before the ANC nomination process was concluded, Mathebula wrote to Pret members, calling on them to lobby ANC branches to nominate Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for president and Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza for deputy president because of Dlamini-Zuma’s seriousness about radical economic transformation.
Pret also reportedly has Premier David Mabuza’s ear and the premier has instructed his MECs to work with the organisation to unlock opportunities for the youth. Sigudla is reportedly close to Mabuza and is a benefactor of the DD Mabuza Foundation.
Mathebula was the ANC chief whip in Emalahleni Local Municipality and ANC Youth League chairperson in Nkangala region before he teamed up with Sigudla to form Pret early this year.
Since then, Pret’s influence has been growing, much to the annoyance of ANC members who felt that the organisation was taking over community programmes.
Pret’s highlights include chasing Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane from addressing a community meeting about the Mining Charter in Middelburg on June 23.
Pret members were also arrested three weeks ago when they marched to Sasol and Eskom’s Duvha Power Station to demand jobs and procurement opportunities for youth.
On November 29, about 100 Pret members bulldozed their way into the Mpumalanga government complex to meet director-general Thulani Mdakane without prior arrangement.
Sigudla previously told City Press that the organisation wanted to create multimillionaires and billionaires. He also said that Pret had created more than 250 000 jobs.
“By 2027, we want to create 100 multimillionaires … not the millionaires who buy booze for people but who work for communities,” he said.
Though, political assassination have been far and in between in Mpumalanga over the past few years, there are many cases that have remained unresolved:
• The assassination of former Mbombela speaker, Jimmy Mohlala, has not been resolved since he was shot dead on January 5 2009. Mohlala was fighting corruption in the R1.2 billion Mbombela 2010 Fifa World Cup stadium tenders when he attacked at his KaNyamazane home. No one has been arrested and successfully prosecuted.
• Former Mpumalanga department of culture, sport and recreation spokesperson, Sammy Mpatlanyane, was shot in January 2010. No one has also been arrested. Details about Mpatlanyane’s assassination are sketchy, but he was involved in the organisation of the 2010 world cup.
• SACP member, Bomber Ntshangase, was shot dead in Bethal in 2010. Ntshangase was speaking out against corruption pertaining to municipal flats. Two men are on trial for the shooting.
• ANC branch deputy chairperson in Pienaar, Zane Phelemebe, was shot dead in May last year in what was believed to be a fight about allocation of tenders in the ward. Nobody has been arrested.
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