Inkosi (Zulu Chief/King) Mbongeleni Zondi (1969 – January 22, 2009) was a Zulu chief, regent and great-grandson of Inkosi Bambatha kaMancinza, who led a

Zulu rebellion The Bambatha Rebellion (or the Zulu Rebellion) of 1906 was led by Bambatha kaMancinza (c. 1860–1906?), leader of the Zondi clan of the Zulu people, who lived in the Mpanza Valley (now a district near Greytown, KwaZulu-Natal) against British ...

against British rule in 1906. He was also a close ally of

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...

President Jacob Zuma and a cultural patron of the ANC leadership in KwaZulu-Natal. At 7:00 AM on January 22, 2009, Zondi was shot dead on Stimela Avenue in

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

’s

Umlazi Umlazi is a township in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, located south-west of Durban. Organisationally and administratively it forms part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and its South Municipal Planning Region. It is the fourth largest ...

township. At the time, he lived in Msinga in the Midlands, and was visiting his sister in Umlazi. Four men arrived in an SUV; two of them opened fire on Zondi using

AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms d ...

s. At least 50 cartridges were found by eThekwini police. Three men suspected of the shooting were killed by police in separate incidents in September 2009. The fourth was arrested and went on trial in March 2010. In his address at Zondi's funeral, held at Engome near Greytown, KwaZulu-Natal Premier

Sibusiso Ndebele Sibusiso Joel "S'bu" Ndebele (born 17 October 1948) is the former Minister of Correctional Services serving from 2012 to 2014. He has been on the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC) since 1997, and was the Pr ...

said:

(W)e have lost a transformational leader, an Inkosi who put his people first, and saw government as a strategic partner in the development of his area. We say farewell to this friend of peace, democracy and development.

References

External links

Statement
by

on the assassination
Assassination of Mbongeleni Zondi a "horrific act" - ANC
by

Jessie Duarte Yasmin "Jessie" Duarte (; 19 September 1953 – 17 July 2022) was a South African politician and acting secretary-general of the African National Congress. A longtime anti-apartheid activist, she served variously as a special assistant to Nels ...

Suspects identified in Zondi killing
1969 births 2009 deaths Zulu people Deaths by firearm in South Africa South African murder victims {{KwaZuluNatal-politician-stub