/ 6 January 2009

IFP youth leader shot dead

The leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party Youth Brigade, Shadrack Dube, has been shot dead in KwaZulu-Natal, the party said on Monday.

The leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party Youth Brigade, Shadrack Dube, has been shot dead in KwaZulu-Natal, the party said on Monday.

”Dube was shot with eight bullets by unknown assailants as he came back from buying airtime not far from his house at Phumlani township, in Hluhluwe,” said party chairperson in the Mkhanyakude district municipality Alfred Mpontshane in a statement. The murder happened on Sunday.

The party described the killing as a systematic campaign to eliminate its leaders, derail its campaign and intimidate its supporters before the general elections.

”As the IFP, we are deeply saddened and disturbed by the untimely death of our comrade … while we do not yet know his assailants, we however note with concern the almost uniform pattern in the way he and some of our leaders have been assassinated.”

Police spokesperson Captain Jabulani Mdletshe confirmed the shooting, but had no further details. — Sapa