MIDDELBURG – Workers of Steve Tshwete municipality are demanding answers from alleged killer Nqubeko Mchunu, now arrested fugitive, regarding who ordered him to open fire on them.
Mchunu (43) has been on the run for nearly 13 months after reportedly shooting two municipal employees and a community member during wage negotiations on 17 August 2022. Tshepo Maseko, an employee from the solid waste department, tragically lost his life at the scene, while the other two survived after receiving medical treatment at the hospital.
Mchunu initially appeared in court on August 19, before being granted R10,000 bail in September 2022. He continued to attend court proceedings until March 9, 2023. However, a warrant for his arrest was issued by the court when he failed to appear on April 11, 2023. Since then, Mchunu had remained out of sight until his hideout was uncovered last Friday, May 3.
Information from members of the public led to his re-arrest, which took place in Soweto, Gauteng province.
Responding to the re-arrest, one of the employees, speaking anonymously to the paper, expressed the need for Mchunu to come clean. “At the moment, we can only find solace in the fact that he has been apprehended to face the consequences of his cowardly actions that he attempted to escape from,” the employee stated. “We demand that he reveal who actually gave the orders to shoot at us when we were unarmed and posed no threat, merely advocating for better salaries.”
Attempts to get a comment from the Steve Tshwete municipality were simply shot down by its spokesperson Lerato Kgomo.
Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), Daphney Manamela, commended her officers for the successful re-arrest. “We are thankful to all stakeholders, including members of the public who assist with information and not forgetting the media for continually playing a pivotal role in sharing valuable information with the public. Together we continue to move forward in the fight against crime,” she remarked.
