“It is a concern for all our investigators. That is why we have, together with the MMC of public safety, engaged on how to assist the kind of investigations that are under way and, if there is an additional level of protection required for our officials, then we need to provide it.”
When asked if there was any protection provided for Sithole’s family, Gwamanda said the city was waiting for the police to get an understanding of the circumstances surrounding Sithole’s death.
“Then we as the city will be able to implement whichever response is required. The group forensic and investigations is doing a threat assessment as well,” Gwamanda said.
“We can only get authorisation to deploy once that information has been provided in full by the police.”
Gwamanda said Sithole came to the city around 2017 and was a former member of the Hawks. He said his unit undertook a wide variety of special projects, including investigating hijacked buildings.
Gwamanda earlier visited the grieving Sithole family and offered condolences. He promised the city would support the family with whatever they needed to bury their loved one.
“You are not alone. We are here as the City of Johannesburg in your time of grief. We grieve with you.”
Sibongile Mlambo, Sithole’s sister, told the mayor that the family was grieving and still in shock.
“Right now we came back with a plastic bag full of his bloodied clothes.”
Her family’s concern is that it cannot find a place to bury her brother as his wish was to be buried at a cemetery in Nasrec, but the family was told there was no space.
“He was killed like a dog. He left his wife, hardly three months after they were married, he left his children,” Mlambo said.
TimesLIVE