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Sindiso Magaqa (died 4 September 2017) was a South African politician from
KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is loca ...
. A member of the
African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...
(ANC), he was assassinated while serving as a local councillor in
Umzimkhulu Local Municipality Umzimkhulu Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Harry Gwala District of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Umzimkhulu is a Xhosa and Zulu name meaning “Big/Great house”. Prior to the Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution of Sout ...
. He was formerly the secretary general of the
ANC Youth League The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) is the youth wing of the African National Congress (ANC). As set out in its constitution, the ANC Youth League is led by a National Executive Committee (NEC) and a National Working Committee (NW ...
from June 2011 to April 2012, when he was found guilty of misconduct and suspended from the party for a year.


Early life and career

Magaqa was born in the
township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...
of Ibisi in
Umzimkhulu Umzimkhulu is a town in Harry Gwala District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The town lies 243 km north-east of Mthatha and 18 km south-west of Ixopo. It developed from a trading-post and was laid out in 1884 ...
, which was a part of the Eastern Cape until it joined
KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is loca ...
in 2006. He joined the
Congress of South African Students The Congress of South African Students (COSAS) is an anti-apartheid Student Organisation established in 1979 in the wake of the June 16 Soweto Uprisings in 1976 in South Africa. Background COSAS was formed in June 1979 after the South African Stud ...
while still in primary school, and he went on to become an active member of the
African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...
, joining the
ANC Youth League The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) is the youth wing of the African National Congress (ANC). As set out in its constitution, the ANC Youth League is led by a National Executive Committee (NEC) and a National Working Committee (NW ...
(ANCYL) in 1997. In tandem with his political career, he studied law at the
University of South Africa The University of South Africa (UNISA), known colloquially as Unisa, is the largest university system in South Africa by enrollment. It attracts a third of all higher education students in South Africa. Through various colleges and affiliates, U ...
and for a time was employed as a project manager in the
Umzimkhulu Local Municipality Umzimkhulu Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Harry Gwala District of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Umzimkhulu is a Xhosa and Zulu name meaning “Big/Great house”. Prior to the Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution of Sout ...
.


ANC Youth League


Political rise

Magaqa rose to political prominence in the ANCYL, first in the league's regional executive committee in
Alfred Nzo Alfred Baphethuxolo Nzo (19 June 1925 – 13 January 2000) was a South African politician. He served as the longest-standing secretary-general of the African National Congress. He occupied this position (ANC) between 1969 and 1991. He was also t ...
(in the Eastern Cape) and then as the regional chairperson, for four terms, of the league's
Harry Gwala Themba Harry Gwala (30 July 1920 – 20 June 1995) was a revolutionary leader in the African National Congress (ANC) and South African Communist Party (SACP) in South Africa. Biography Early career and activism Harry Gwala trained as a teac ...
branch (in KwaZulu-Natal). In May 2010, he was elected as the deputy provincial chairperson of the ANCYL's KwaZulu-Natal branch. He and the newly elected provincial chairperson,
Mthandeni Dlungwana Mthandeni Eric Dlungwana (born January 1976), also spelled Dlungwane, is a South African politician who represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature between 2011 and 2019. He was formerly KwaZulu- ...
, were both elected as part of a
slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
of candidates aligned to the provincial secretary,
Bheki Mtolo Bhekinkosi Michael Mtolo is a South African politician who has served as the Provincial Secretary of the African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal since July 2022. He was formerly the Mayor of Greater Kokstad Local Municipality from 2016 ...
. After only a year in the provincial branch, Magaqa emerged as the frontrunner to succeed Vuyiswa Tulelo as national secretary general of the ANCYL. As the leadership elections approached, he had the support of eight of the league's nine provincial branches; his opponent, Ayanda Matiti, was the chairperson of the Eastern Cape branch and attracted its support. The ANCYL's 24th national conference was held in June 2011 at
Gallagher Estate Gallagher Convention Centre is a convention centre in Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa and is the seat of the Pan-African Parliament The Pan-African Parliament (PAP), also known as the African Parliament, is the legislative body of the Afric ...
in
Midrand Midrand is a former municipality in central Gauteng, South Africa. It is situated in-between Centurion and Sandton and now forms part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. History Midrand was established as a municipality in 198 ...
and Magaqa was elected as secretary general, with Kenetswe Mosenogi as his deputy.


ANC suspension

Magaqa entered the ANCYL secretariat at the outset of the second term of league president
Julius Malema Julius Sello Malema (born 3 March 1981) is a South African politician and activist who is a Member of Parliament and the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a left-wing party which he founded in 2013. He was formerly the President of ...
, who had already clashed several times with the leadership of the mainstream ANC. The ''
Mail & Guardian The ''Mail & Guardian'' is a South African weekly newspaper and website, published by M&G Media in Johannesburg, South Africa. It focuses on political analysis, investigative reporting, Southern African news, local arts, music and popular cult ...
'' regarded Magaqa as a close ally of Malema, and he adopted a similarly provocative stance. In particular, in August 2011, he published an ANCYL statement that was highly critical of
Malusi Gigaba Knowledge Malusi Nkanyezi Gigaba (born 30 August 1971) is a South African politician who served as Minister of Home Affairs of the Republic of South Africa appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa from 27 February 2018 until his resignation on ...
, the incumbent
Minister of Public Enterprises The Minister of Public Enterprises is a minister in the cabinet of the national government of South Africa. He is appointed by the President of South Africa and is the political head of the Department of Public Enterprises, which was establishe ...
. The statement accused Gigaba of "pleasing imperialists" by publicly criticising the ANCYL's policy on the nationalisation of mines. Later in August 2011, after Malema issued a particularly provocative statement of his own, the ANC's National Executive Committee took disciplinary action against the entire top leadership of the ANCYL. Magaqa appeared with the others at a disciplinary tribunal at
Luthuli House Chief Albert Luthuli House in Johannesburg, more simply known as Luthuli House, is the headquarters of the African National Congress (ANC) and other subsidiary organizations. The name "Luthuli House" is frequently used as a metonym for the nationa ...
on 30 August. On 10 November, the ANC's National Disciplinary Committee, chaired by
Derek Hanekom Derek Andre Hanekom (born 13 January 1953) is a South African politician, activist and former cabinet minister. He is currently serving as a presidential envoy for South Africa mandated to promote investment with a focus on tourism. He was pre ...
, found Magaqa found guilty of misconduct for his public attacks on Minister Gigaba. As sanction, his ANC membership was suspended and he was ordered to apologise publicly to Gigaba. Through a complicated internal appeals process, this sentence was reconsidered once by the National Disciplinary Committee (which increased it to a three-year suspension), and twice by
Cyril Ramaphosa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African businessman and politician who is currently serving as the fifth democratically elected president of South Africa. Formerly an anti-apartheid activist, trade union leader, and ...
's National Disciplinary Committee of Appeals. At the conclusion of the process in April 2012, Ramaphosa's committee ultimately handed Magaqa a one-year suspension from the ANC.


Aftermath

While Magaqa was serving his suspension, the leadership corps of the ANCYL was disbanded, and a new leadership was not elected until September 2015, when
Njabulo Nzuza Njabulo Bheka Nzuza (born 20 February 1982) is a South African politician from KwaZulu-Natal currently serving as Deputy Minister of Home Affairs. He has been a Member of Parliament since 2019. Nzuza is a member of the African National Congress. ...
was elected to succeed Magaqa as ANCYL secretary general. Malema was expelled from the ANC at the same time that Magaqa was suspended, and Magaqa continued to defend Malema publicly. Indeed, Malema later claimed that Magaqa had considered joining his breakaway political party, the
Economic Freedom Fighters The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a South African left-wing to far-left pan-Africanist and Marxist–Leninist political party. It was founded by expelled former African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) President Julius Malema, an ...
. Nonetheless, when Magaqa's suspension ended in April 2013, he said that he would remain a "fighter for economic freedom" under the ANC banner. In the August 2016 local elections, he was elected to represent the ANC as a
local councillor A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...
in Umzimkhulu Local Municipality, his hometown.


Assassination


Shooting and death

On the evening of 13 July 2017, Magaqa and two other local politicians – Nonsikelelo Mafa and Jabu Mzizi – were shot and wounded in an apparent
assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...
attempt. The trio were on a car trip together and were ambushed when they stopped at a general store near Magaqa's home in Idisi. The
South African Police Service The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,154 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a Provincial Commissioner is appointed in ea ...
said that about 15 shots were fired into the car by at least two gunmen, who wielded an
R1 rifle The FAL (a French acronym for (English: "Light Automatic Rifle")), is a battle rifle designed in Belgium by Dieudonné Saive and manufactured by FN Herstal (simply known as FN). During the Cold War the FAL was adopted by many countries of the ...
and a pistol. All three of the victims were hospitalised and stabilised, though Magaqa, who had been driving the car, was critically injured. Magaqa died at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital in
Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
on 4 September 2017, aged 35. Although family members suspected that he had been poisoned, arguing that he had made a full recovery in the weeks before his death, his official cause of death was the gunshot wounds he had sustained in the July shooting. His funeral was held on 16 September in Umzimkhulu. The apparent assassination of Magaqa was part of a broader wave of
political violence Political violence is violence which is perpetrated in order to achieve political goals. It can include violence which is used by a state against other states ( war), violence which is used by a state against civilians and non-state actors ( forc ...
in the region in 2016 and 2017, which had begun ahead of the 2016 local elections and which intensified in the run-up to the ANC's 54th National Conference. Some observers linked the shooting to factionalism in the ANC. More specifically, Magaqa's relatives and friends – particularly his ANC comrade Thabiso Zulu – told the press that Magaqa was targeted because he had blown the whistle on
corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
in Umzimkhulu Municipality. Similar evidence was heard by the Moerane Commission, an inquiry established to investigate political killings in KwaZulu-Natal. Blueprint for Free Speech gave Zulu a whistleblowers' award for testifying about Magaqa's murder at the Moerane Commission despite threats to his own security.


Murder trial

In 2018, the police made its first arrests in connection with the shooting, and in March 2019, four men were charged with common-purpose murder in the Umzimkhulu
magistrate's court A magistrates' court is a lower court where, in several jurisdictions, all criminal proceedings start. Also some civil matters may be dealt with here, such as family proceedings. Courts * Magistrates' court (England and Wales) * Magistrate's Cour ...
. They were former policeman Sbonelo Myeza, businessman Mbulelo Mpofana, Umzimkhulu municipal manager Zweliphansi Skhosana, and, most prominently, politician Mluleki Ndobe, who at the time was the mayor of
Harry Gwala District Municipality Harry Gwala is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The seat of Harry Gwala is Ixopo. The majority of its 298 392 people speak IsiZulu (2011 Census). The district code is DC43. In November 2015, Sisonke District's ...
. However, the charges against Skhosana and Ndobe were dropped soon afterwards, and two new defendants – Mlungisi Ncalane and Sibusiso Ncengwa – were charged. Their trial began in the
Pietermaritzburg High Court The KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court of South Africa is a superior court of law with general jurisdiction over the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The main seat of the division is at Pietermaritzburg, while a subordinate local seat ...
in April 2023, and they pled not guilty. Charging them with conspiracy to commit murder, murder, and attempted murder, the state alleged that the motive for the shooting stemmed from the mismanagement of funds in Umzimkhulu Municipality. The trial resumed in early 2024 after a prolonged postponement.


Honours

A student residence at the
Nelson Mandela University Nelson Mandela University (formerly known as ''Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU)'' ) and before that - the University of Port Elizabeth (UPE), the Port Elizabeth Technikon and Vista University's Port Elizabeth campus. This South Af ...
in
George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Pres ...
is named after Magaqa.


See also

*