The EFF regional leader in Gauteng Moshe Mphahlele died when he was shot in Alexander in the north of Johannesburg on Sunday during a scuffle between the community and law enforcement. The community was allegedly invading the four-storey containers built as relief structures during Covid-19.

CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE

City of Johannesburg Council Speaker Margaret Arnolds described Mphahlele as a dedicated public servant. "His life was tragically cut short in an incident that has left us all shocked and deeply saddened. It is imperative that a thorough and transparent investigation is conducted to ensure that justice is served, and that the truth is brought to light," Arnolda said. In a short statement, the EFF said: "We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Regional Deputy Secretary of the EFF Johannesburg Region, Fighter Moshe Mphahlele."

ILLEGAL INVASION

The containers were set up in the township in 2021 to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic by moving people out of overly populated areas in Alexandra. The City of Johannesburg said at the time that they intended to improve the lives of 1,600 residents living in congested areas by providing safer conditions to enable them to adhere to lockdown regulations in response to Covid-19. But they were left empty, and families from around the township started occupying them. They were later evicted by the city. The city said the reason behind them not allocating the structures to families was that they did not have water and electricity. SAPS spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed a shooting incident that happened while metro police and private security guards were removing people who had allegedly illegally occupied the containers in Bramley. "Police received information about a man who was shot and taken to the local clinic. Upon arrival at the clinic, police were shown the body of a man who had a gunshot wound," Masondo said,adding that a murder inquiry has been opened and no arrests have been made yet.