Umngeni Municipal Mayor Chris Pappas has announced a R100,000 reward for a tip-off that could lead to the arrest of the killers of DA councillor Hlalayenza Ndlovu.
Ndlovu, commonly known as Gatshen, was shot and killed at his home by three unknown gunmen on Tuesday night.
The 46-year-old was gunned down in front of his wife and two children, aged five and six.
Pappas, who is also the DA candidate for premier in the province, has suspended his campaign while the council and the community mourn Ndlovu's death.
He said there were early indications that Ndlovu's murder was a political hit that had been organised locally.
A week before his execution, Ndluvu had some suspicions that he may be in danger.
Pappas said he had sent communications to Police Minister Bheki Cele suggesting the hit had been political and local. He had not received any confirmation of receipt or any response from Cele's office.
"I can also announce that Umngeni Municipality will be making available R100 000 as a reward for information that leads to a conviction.
"Anyone with information that leads to a conviction can approach the office of the mayor, the office of the municipal manager or the office of the manager for public safety.
"Today at 7am, the municipal flag was lowered to half mast," said Pappas.
Ndlovu is credited as being one of the DA activists who helped the DA defeat the ANC, which had run Umngeni into financial difficulties for many years.
Pappas and the rest of the DA team relied on councillors like Ndlovu to help the party consolidate its support as it won the majority of seats and council but obtained less than 50% of the vote.
Ndlovu's murder is but one page in a painful book of political killings in KwaZulu-Natal where over 20 councillors have been killed this year alone.
Political killings are particularly common in highly contested and hung municipalities where a single seat is often enough to shift the balance of power.
In Umngeni, the DA has 13 seats while the ANC has 10 and EFF has two seats, making the difference effectively just one seat.
The ANC and the EFF are lobbying insults at each other in the streets but are already co-governing in many municipalities.
