An IFP councillor accused of possession of an illegal firearm appeared in the Ntuzuma Magistrate's Court.
|||Durban -An IFP councillor accused of possession of an illegal firearm appeared in the Ntuzuma Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, KwaZulu-Natal police said.
Sakhiwe Ngcamu would remain in custody until his next court appearance, next Friday, spokesman Captain Thulani Zwane said.
Inkatha Freedom Party national chairman Blessed Gwala said Ngcamu was a Ward 39 councillor. He was arrested at the KwaMashu hostel on Monday.
Gwala said: “The IFP stand by the rule that a person is not guilty until found guilty, but at same time will be monitoring very closely the proceeding in court.”
The party's legal team was investigating the allegations, to determine whether the incident was party-related or not, before embarking on a possible internal disciplinary process.
Gwala said the IFP would not consider granting Ngcamu legal assistance until it had investigated the matter.
Last month, two IFP members were shot outside Ngcamu's office in KwaMashu, Durban. One of them was killed and the other was wounded.
Ngcamu replaced ward councillor Themba Xulu, who was abducted in October last year, from his house in Musa Road. Xulu's bullet-riddled body was later found in a cane field in Durban's outlying Inanda area.
In February, Gwala claimed this had been the second attack on Ngcamu since he replaced Xulu.
He asked African National Congress councillors received bodyguards paid for by the eThekwini metro municipality, but the IFP did not.
On Tuesday, KwaZulu-Natal transport, community and safety MEC Willies Mchunu welcomed Ngcamu's arrest and called for calm.
“The area of KwaMashu has been experiencing serious political instability in the recent past. Therefore, we urge everyone, including political parties, to work with the police and government to restore order in this area,” he said in a statement. - Sapa