The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) is mourning the loss of one of its senior leaders, Khethamabala Petros Sithole, who was shot and killed in Katlehong on the East Rand on Saturday evening.
Sithole, 68, served as a member of the IFP’s National Council and held the position of Deputy Chief Whip in the National Assembly. He had been a dedicated member of the party since his youth and served in numerous leadership roles over the decades.
In a statement released on Sunday, the IFP condemned the killing as a targeted "assassination" by unknown attackers. “Details are still sketchy at the moment, and it is the IFP’s expectation that law enforcement agencies will spare no effort to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice,” the party said.
Sithole's political career included time as Gauteng provincial chairperson for the IFP, a councillor in Ekurhuleni, a brief term in the Gauteng legislature from 2009 to 2010, and his deployment to the National Assembly in 2010, where he served until his death.
The IFP paid a heartfelt tribute to Sithole, describing him as “a hard-working servant leader of the people and the country.” The party added, “The IFP is poorer today with Jobe’s passing, and South Africa has lost a good man who served his country par excellence.”
The motive behind the killing remains unknown. Police investigations are ongoing.