By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The slain Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Councillor in Johannesburg, Moshe Mphahlele, has been laid to rest in Lebowakgomo in Limpopo.
Mphahlele was shot dead during the removal of dwellers from containers in Alexandra, Johannesburg, on Sunday.
The preliminary autopsy report has revealed that Mphahlele was hit by rubber bullets and live ammunition.
The 39-year-old was an EFF regional leader and councillor in the City of Johannesburg.
He was the son of Baroka FC chairman Khurishi Mphahlele
The father described him as a hardworking and focused child.
EFF leaders Floyd Shivambu, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, and Godrich Gardee were amongst the mourners attending the funeral service.
Party president Julius Malema delivered the party’s tribute to Mphahlele.
“Under democratic South Africa, we still have our own children being killed with live ammunition and Mphahlele was not killed during the protest.
“He was actually assassinated, because if you follow the story, they waited for him to be isolated. When he moved away from his people to go and negotiate with the authorities, they shot him when they knew there would not be any witnesses. Today, no one has been arrested.
Malema claimed Mphahlele was isolated and shot while attempting to negotiate with the private security present at the protest, which was held in response to the occupation of municipal flats.
“Mphahlele’s death will never be in vain. One of the demands we have is that those unoccupied buildings must be occupied. There’s no way that those buildings will not be occupied.”
Meanwhile City of Johannesburg Public Safety MMC Mgcini Tshwaku said, all the private security guards and JMPD officers who were present at the shooting will be suspended pending an investigation into the incident.
Tshwaku, who is also an EFF councillor in the coalition government in the city, finds himself in a position where he is the political head of the Public Safety department, which controls the JMPD, which is implicated in the shooting.
“We are going to help all those who are accountable, whether it is private security or the JMPD officers.
“We’ve sent a letter to the [HOD] for them to be suspended with immediate effect and to cooperate with the IPID, all of them starting from the superintendents to all the officers that were present on that day.”