Former MDC councillor murdered

IN an incident that left Filabusi villagers shocked, a former MDC Ward 11 councillor Oziah Mathuthu, who had gone missing since Tuesday last week, was found dead on Saturday with his hands bound with strings.

A villager, Sibongile Sibanda, yesterday told Southern Eye that Mathuthu went missing on Tuesday and villagers suspect that he was murdered.

"Villagers found Mathuthu dead in the bush on Saturday and alerted police who are still conducting their investigations," Sibanda said.

"They discovered that he had stab wounds on the body and it is suspected that he was killed," she said.

MDC Matabeleland South chairperson Pilate Ndebele confirmed Mathuthu's death saying he was informed of the party member's death by officials from Insiza district.

"Yes, it's true, I have received the information that Oziah Mathuthu had gone missing for four days and some hours and was found dead," Ndebele said.

"I am yet to get more information concerning his death, but it's true he has died in a suspicious manner."

Ndebele said since Mathuthu was a politician who held a council position, it is not possible to rule out foul play and it was obvious that the matter must be treated as a politically-motivated murder.

"When a dog usually kills wild pigs and one day you find that dog dead, what would you think? It is obvious that wild pigs would have killed it.

"We may think that political opponents committed the murder, but since the case is now being handled by the police, we prefer to let the police do their investigations and see what they will come up with."

Ndebele said Mathuthu had wounds and there is a lot to suspect over his death than meets the eye. Contacted for comment yesterday, Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Philisani Ndebele said he had not yet received any report concerning the incident.

He said he would check with the Filabusi police.

Mathuthu won the Ward 11 council elections in the 2008 elections on an MDC ticket.