Mbombela - Provincial Safety, Security and Liaison MEC, Vusi Shongwe, has condemned the murder of Johan Ndlovu, chief whip of the Ehlanzeni District Municipality in Mbombela.
He urged the police to ensure the culprits were brought to book so that "whoever did this will pay the ultimate price".
Shongwe, who visited the family on Wednesday calling for calm, further called on the community to assist the police with any information.
Ndlovu's body was discovered in the early hours of Wednesday morning after his wife reported him missing to the police.
Concerned that he had not arrived home in Edinburgh village in Bushbuckridge by 1am, his wife called his cellphone. A strange man answered and told her that her husband had been kidnapped and murdered. He also told her where the body could be found.
She called the police who later discovered Ndlovu's body. Ndlovu had multiple gunshot wounds to his upper and lower body.
Mpumalanga police found Ndlovu's car on Wednesday afternoon. The white Toyota Corolla was found abandoned in Dumphries village near Thulamahashe outside Bushbuckridge.
"We received information from members of the public at around 2pm on Wednesday about a suspicious looking vehicle. We went to investigate and verified that it belonged to the deceased," said provincial police spokesman Captain Leonard Hlathi on Thursday.
Hlathi said the car's doors were not locked and the windows were open. The keys were on the driver's seat.
"No arrests have been made so far, and we still ask the public to help us trace the perpetrators," Hlathi said.
He said police were checking the car for fingerprints and other evidence that may lead to the arrest of the suspects.
