Suspect in ANC councillor Lazola Gungxe's murder appears in court
Asiphe Sesanti, the 26-year-old suspect accused of murdering City of Cape Town Ward 36 councillor Lazola Gungxe, appeared in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Newspapers
The man accused of murdering City of Cape Town Ward 36 councillor Lazola Gungxe appeared in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court yesterday, as Western Cape police revealed he faces two other pending criminal cases.
The 26-year-old suspect, Asiphe Sesanti, briefly appeared in court in connection with the February killing of the ANC ward councillor.
Dozens of supporters attended the proceedings, including Gungxe’s widow.
Western Cape police commissioner Thembisile Patekile who attended proceedings said detectives had worked intensively to make an arrest in the case.
“Our detectives have had sleepless nights trying to solve this case in particular where a councillor was shot in a community hall after a meeting,” Patekile said.
“The investigation has led to the arrest of one suspect who appeared in court today. He will be appearing again for bail application on March 24.”
Patekile said investigators were still working to determine the motive behind the killing.
“For now, we are unable to determine the motive but we are still working on that,” he said.
He added that the accused already faces other criminal matters.
“We are aware that the suspect has other pending cases because he was actually arrested when he appeared in court for murder and attempted murder,” Patekile said.
“We also know of a pending case in Wynberg related to the possession of an illegal firearm. This is the third incident now.”
Gungxe, 48, was shot and killed on February 3 after attending a community meeting in the Nyanga area.
ANC Dullah Omar Region chairperson Ndithini Tyhido welcomed the arrest and called for intervention by a specialised national unit to investigate the killing.
“Today the ANC in the Dullah Omar region was at Athlone Magistrate’s Court in the hearing of the suspect who is alleged to have murdered our comrade councillor in Crossroads, Ward 36,” Tyhido said.
“The young man, I see, who was arrested by the police, and we congratulate the police on the apprehension of this would-be assassin.”
Tyhido said the ANC was calling on the South African Police Service to involve the National Political Killings Task Team in the investigation.
“The ANC is making a firm call on the police services to involve the National Political Killings Task Team in this case because in Ward 36 alone more than five councillors have been killed, with Councillor Gungxe being the fifth one,” he said.
“If one looks at what has happened from the previous years, there have also been incidents in that area. So we think that a specialised unit must be drawn in to come and investigate these killings.”
Tyhido said the ANC hoped investigators would identify those responsible for planning the attacks.
“We are hoping that the police will leave no stone unturned to investigate and apprehend the people who plan and plot these things in our communities.”
He said the ANC would continue to support the councillor’s family.
“Otherwise the ANC at this point will always stand next to the family of Gungxe and support them.”
The case was postponed to March 24 for Sesanti’s bail application as investigations continue.