A senior Newcastle municipal manager has survived a second hit on him in just over six months, at the same spot near the entrance to a gated residential area in the town. Senior executive director for corporate services, Dr Prince Dumisani Thabethe, and his two Mi7 bodyguards were wounded in the ambush at the entrance to the Kilbarchan residential area on Monday. All three are being treated at an undisclosed medical facility as the municipality moves to enlist intelligence services for a specialised investigation into the repeated assassination attempts.
Thabethe (63) and his two bodyguards were ambushed early on Monday morning at the only access and exit point to the gated area. His Isuzu double cab was riddled with bullet holes. Council Speaker Thengamehlo Thengi Zulu confirmed that Monday’s ambush was the second attempt on Thabethe’s life in just six months.
He said the attackers appeared to have planned the ambush carefully, exploiting the layout of the area. “The assailants knew that vehicles are forced to slow down at the entrance due to the speed bumps,” Zulu said. He said the latest attack mirrored an earlier shooting in June last year, when Thabethe was also targeted at the same location returning home from work.
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