GENERAL MASEMOLA COMMENDS POLITICAL KILLINGS TASK TEAM FOR BREAKTHROUGH OF 121 DOCKETS
Pretoria, 08 September 2025; The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service(SAPS), General Fannie Masemola has commended the SAPS Political Killings Task Team for the swift arrest of suspects that were wanted in connection with the murder of a whistleblower, Xolani Ndlovu Ntombela.
The murder docket of Xolani Ndlovu Ntombela forms part of the 121 dockets that have been returned to the task team to continue with investigations.
The dockets were returned to the task team on ,Thursday 28 August 2025, and within a week, the team have arrested a 55-year-old local chief and a 23-year-old hitman for the 2022 murder.
The late Xolani Ntombela was shot and killed in November 2022 inside his homestead.
A preliminary investigation by the task team has so far revealed that Ntombela was murdered for exposing the illegal sales of land in Emasosheni in the Mpophomeni area in Howick, KwaZulu Natal.
The local chief and the hitman are appearing before the Howick Magistrate’s Court this morning and face a number of charges including conspiracy to commit murder, murder as well as possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition .
General Fannie Masemola has applauded the team for the swift arrests.
“The turnaround time and swift arrests following the return of the dockets is encouraging and it is a step in the right direction. We urge the team to continue with their investigations in the remaining 120 dockets. We need to solve all these cases because families need answers and closure”, said Gen Masemola.
The task teams investigations since July 2018 has led to the conviction of more than 130 accused for murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
