Howick: The National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has commended the South African Police Service (SAPS) Political Killings Task Team for the swift arrest of suspects linked to the murder of a whistleblower, Xolani Ndlovu Ntombela. The suspects, a local chief and the hitman, are appearing before the Howick Magistrate's Court on Monday and face several charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, murder, as well as possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
According to South African Government News Agency, the murder docket of Xolani Ndlovu Ntombela is among 121 dockets that were returned to the task team to continue investigations. The dockets were handed back to the task team on Thursday, 28 August 2025, and within a week, a 55-year-old local chief and a 23-year-old hitman were arrested for the 2022 murder.
The late Xolani Ntombela was shot and killed in November 2022 inside his homestead. A preliminary investigation by the task team has revealed that Ntombela was murdered for exposing the illegal sales of land in Emasosheni in the Mpophomeni area in Howick, KwaZulu Natal.
General Fannie Masemola has praised the task team for their swift actions. "The turnaround time and swift arrests following the return of the dockets is encouraging and it is a step in the right direction. We urge the team to continue with their investigations in the remaining 120 dockets. We need to solve all these cases because families need answers and closure," said General Masemola.
The task team's investigations have, since July 2018, led to the conviction of more than 130 individuals for murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder.