.:The Lowvelder Online - Die Laevelder Op Die Web:.

Written by Landé Willemse - Monday, 08 February 2010 17:09

Executive mayor of Mbombela, Cllr Lassy Chiwayo.

NELSPRUIT - An alleged hit list was faxed to Lowvelder and the provincial department of safety and security on Friday with 10 names on it. Two of the people named, have been murdered.
The sender of the fax claims to be involved in plots to assassinate individuals. He is willing to blow the whistle on the assassination conspi-rators in exchange for protection.
Head of the office of the MEC for safety and security, Mr Lucky Molobela, confirmed the existence of this document and that the department had received it by fax.
"We are taking this matter very seriously," he insisted and added that the MEC, Ms Sibongile Manana was in a meeting at the time of going to press but that he would discuss the list with her as a matter of urgency.
The list was sent to Lowvelder at lunchtime on Friday, titled, "Operation Clean Up 2014", and includes the names of Mbombela mayor Cllr Lassy Chiwayo, murdered Mr Jimmy Mohlala, journalist Mr Alfred Maselakgomo (sic), politician
Mr Steven Ngubeni, Mr David Mahlobo, murdered Mr Samuel Mpatlanyane, lobbyist Mr Godfrey Ntombela, businessman Mr Thabo Theledi, Mr Bongo Thomas and
Mr Richard Silawu.
The fax was sent from an Internet cafe in a busy, well-known shopping centre in Nelspruit.
The areas from which the named people come, and the reasons for inclusion on the list, were also included in the document.
The sender of the fax - whose name is known to Lowvelder - requested that Manana put him on a protection plan in order for him to cooperate with the police.
"As a person who was taking part in some of the missions regarding the plot to assassinate individuals, I cannot take it anymore," the man pleads. "I am prepared to disclose the whole plan on how we planned the mission. Please help me before it’s too late," he concludes.
In an article this weekend in Sunday Times, a hit list of other proposed victims was mentioned. The newspaper claimed that details of the plot had been given to the police.
Provincial Commissioner Thulani Ntobela denied this and replied that he took note of the article, but insisted no information was given to them and that the alleged killer was not known to the police. Also, no witness statement was submitted to the investigators. Lowvelder forwarded the "Operation Clean Up" document to the police yesterday and they confirmed receipt of it.
Mr Anthony Benadie, provincial leader of the DA, sent questions to Manana regarding the alleged hit list and according to her, the current status of the investigation was, "no specific measures other than a normal inves-tigation of the murders."
According to Manana crime intelli-gence and organised crime are busy investigating the rumours.
Benadie also added that the senior ANC figure implicated in a string of murders linked to Fifa World Cup tender disputes in Mpumalanga, should be forced by his party's leadership to stand down. According to him the identity of the ANC figure was known in political circles in Nelspruit.
The premier, Mr David Mabuza has been widely criticised for his alleged "silence on the hit list" and also that he had dismissed it as "utter nonsense" according to a reliable source. His spokesman, Mabutho Sithole, respon-ded that it was unfair to criticise Mabuza for his silence. "Our position is that any killing of an individual is wrong and very painful to the families of the deceased. However, we believe the law enforcement agencies should take the lead in the matter, investigate it and apprehend the people behind these senseless killings."
Chiwayo was not available for comment but it is reported that he fears for his life, after allegedly having received death threats on his cellphone, and that he has appealed to ANC headquarters at Luthuli House about his victimisation.