On Monday, 14 March, news of an alleged shooting which took place near the home of Newcastle Municipality Deputy Mayor, Musa ‘Sugar’ Thwala, sent shockwaves and panic through the community as it was branded a ‘hit on his life’.
According to reports, it was understood that Thwala’s bodyguards noticed a vehicle parked across the street, near a shopping centre in Madadeni Section 6, and decided to investigate due to the nature of the vehicle being suspicious.
Thwala had just arrived home when the altercation ensued. It was alleged that the occupants of the vehicle fired shots resulting in one of the bodyguards, aged 36, sustaining fatal wounds and later dying at a nearby hospital. Reports then begun swirling around the Deputy Mayor surviving a foiled hit. Thwala is known as ‘The Corruption Buster’ at the local municipality and was quoted as saying that he would not back down from uprooting corruption which had allegedly been taking place at the municipality and this was the reason as to why a hit was put on him.
In CCTV footage viewed by the Newcastle Express of the night of the incident, a different story is seen unfolding. According to a source, Thwala’s two bodyguards entered a tavern on the night of 14 March. An altercation of some sort took place and one can clearly see that a shot was fired by one of the bodyguards, resulting in the death of the other.
The reason for the altercation remains unknown and further details are unclear at this stage. “I do know if the bodyguard who fired the shot, resulting in the death of the other, has been arrested,” said the source.
Attempts made by the Newcastle Express to contact Deputy Mayor Thwala for a comment were unsuccessful as he was unavailable.
