A 26-year-old man from Crossroads appeared at the Athlone Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 9 March, in connection with the murder of Lazola Gungxe.
The suspect’s case has been postponed to Tuesday, 24 March for the bail application.
Gungxe was gunned down in Crossroads on Tuesday 3 February after attending a community meeting. (“Who will be next?”, City Vision, 5 February).
The spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority in the Western Cape, Eric Ntabazalila, confirmed the postponement.
“The case has been postponed until Monday 24 March for a bail application,” said Ntabazalila.
Crossroads community seeks justice after Lazola Gungxe murder
A community leader, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, described the arrest of the suspect as a victory for the community. He said residents are hoping the legal process will reveal who was behind the killing.
“We believe the suspect’s arrest will give us answers about who was behind the killing of Gungxe. We need nothing but the truth. Crossroads has been in the news for the wrong reasons. Gungxe is not the first leader to be killed in the area. We want justice for Gungxe,” he said.
ANC calls for task team investigation into Lazola Gungxe murder
African National Congress (ANC) leader in the Dulhar Ormar Region, Ndithini Tyhido, said the party is calling for the intervention of the Political Killing Task Team to investigate the case.
Tyhido said Gungxe is the fourth political leader to be killed in Crossroads.
“There are people who have been killed in what we believe to be politically motivated incidents. As the ANC, we don’t want to offer opinions or sponsor views as to what the reasons or motivations might be. But the nature of the killings suggests a mix of politically motivated attacks,” he said.
He vowed that the organisation will support the Gungxe family until the end.
