A suspect believed to be the Mayor of Newcastle Ntuthuko Mahlaba has been arrested on a murder charge.

When asked to confirm that Mahlaba, who was sworn in this month, had been apprehended in connection with the murder of ex-ANC Youth League member Wandile Ngobeni and linked to the attempted murder of another member, police minister Bheki Cele’s spokesperson Reneilwe Serero would only confirm that a “senior official of the municipality” had been arrested.

This suspect would appear in court within the next 48 hours.

Serero confirmed the arrest related to murder, but refused to divulge if it was one or more charges.

Mahlaba is also the chairperson of the ANC’s Emalahleni region.

The arrest comes days after Harry Gwala District Mayor Mluleki Ndobe’s apprehension for the murder of former ANC Youth League (ANCYL) secretary Sindiso Magaqa.

Ndobe, 44, Sbonelo Myeza, 39, Mbulelo Mbofana, 34, and Zweliphansi Skhosana, 48, appeared in the Umzimkhulu Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on a count of murder and two of attempted murder.

Ndobe, who is third on the ANC’s provincial list, did not plead and the matter was postponed to March 25 and 26 for formal bail applications.

Magaqa died in hospital in September 2017, around two months after he was shot in Umzimkhulu.

Umzimkhulu councillors, Nonsikelelo Mafa and Jabu Mzizi-Msiya, sustained gunshot wounds on the day of Magaqa’s murder.

ANCYL KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Thanduxolo Sabelo said Ngobeni was killed in 2017 when he and other members of the regional youth league leadership had been at a restaurant after a meeting.

The group was ambushed, Sabelo told News24.

Ngobeni died at the scene while the regional secretary suffered serious injuries but survived.

The others escaped unharmed.

Ngobeni and others thought to have been killed in political assassinations were murdered in carefully considered, well-planned hits, Sabelo said.

He hailed the work of the Hawks task team probing the unresolved cases, urging them to continue to arrest without fear of affiliation or social standing.

“We expect no member of the ANC to support any of those accused of political assassinations. They must be removed form their positions and replaced with immediate effect,” he insisted.

Sabelo maintained that he “without fear of contradiction” welcomed the arrest of both mayors.

“We have no sympathy for anybody involved.”

News 24