Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has welcomed the confession made by one of the suspects linked to the 2017 murder of ANC Youth League leader Sindiso Magaqa.

This comes as reports suggest that when the three accused appear in the Pietermaritzburg High Court next week, a former senior official from the KwaZulu-Natal south coast municipality who is thought to have been one of the masterminds behind Magaqa’s murder may be added.

This official was named by the confessed hitman, Sibusiso Ncengwa, when he pleaded guilty last week.

On Thursday, Ntshavheni briefed members of the media on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.

“For the July 2017 killing of former ANC Youth League leader, Sindiso Magaqa, Cabinet takes political killings seriously, more so because the victims are people who are committed to the fight against corruption in municipalities and government. We are hopeful that this breakthrough will shed further light on other players,” she said.

The minister also reflected on a range of issues, including the scourge of GBVF, the work of the police, the extreme weather conditions which have resulted in the deaths of 57 people in the Eastern Cape, as well as the recently announced National Dialogue and the reported new Covid-19 variant in 22 parts of the world.

“On the extreme weather conditions in the Eastern Cape, Cabinet extends its condolences to the families of those who lost their lives during the flooding across various areas in the Eastern Cape. Several families have also been displaced, and infrastructure has been damaged. Minister Hlabisa has just recorded that to date 57 victims have been recorded and further work is being done to retrieve the remains of the victims,” she said.

On the fiscal framework, which was adopted by the National Assembly on Wednesday, Ntshavheni welcomed the new framework, but expressed concern about the low economic growth, which grew by 0.1% in the last quarter.

On Wednesday, while opposition parties rejected the Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals that underpin the 2025 Budget, GNU parties have come out in support of the revised Budget, saying it is a product of compromises to achieve much-needed economic growth. 

“On the issues of the economy and economic growth, the Cabinet noted the Gross Domestic Product figures as released by Stats SA, indicating that the economy grew by 0.1% in the first quarter of 2025. This follows an increase of 0.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024.

“Among others, agriculture, forestry, and the fishing industry increased by 15.8%, whereas the transport, storage, and communications industry increased by 2.5%. Furthermore, the catering and accommodation industry increased by 0.5%, and Cabinet remains concerned by the decline in the manufacturing industry, and we await the finalised report on the industry,” she said.

On crime and the scourge of GBVF following the murders of Likhona Fose, Olorato Mongale, and other victims, Ntshavheni indicated that Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu recently outlined his plan to curb violent crimes, including organised crime.

“On justice and crime prevention, Cabinet has noted debate on crime and allegation that the government lacks to fight crime in the country… In his recent crime statistics, the Minister of Police outlined policing strategies which include fighting and dismantling organised crime, GBVF, as well as gang violence, while also combating corruption…

“Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation is continuing with its work, resulting in 667 suspects appearing in court for GBV, and a roundtable will be held this Friday at Atteridgeville in Pretoria, which will evaluate this scourge,” she said.

siybonga.sithole@inl.co.za

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