Sitha Maliwa
The streets of Ratanda have been plunged into mourning and fear following the cold-blooded killing of Manqoba Ntombela, the visionary founder of the celebrated music group Woza Afrika. Once a symbol of hope and pride in South African music and township entrepreneurship, Ntombela’s life came to a violent end on Friday evening, shot dead just metres from his front door.
Reports claim the 62-year-old was ambushed moments after arriving home from his nearby spaza shop. It was around 6 p.m. when Ntombela, a former schoolteacher turned businessman, parked outside his house. Within seconds, gunshots rang out, ending the life of a man who had uplifted so many. He was found slumped behind the wheel, his blood staining the very street he had long walked with pride.
The alleged perpetrators? Reports point to the shadowy grip of the so-called “spaza shop mafia”- a ruthless criminal underworld believed to be orchestrating the systematic elimination of local South African shop owners. Ratanda, once a peaceful township, has become a hotspot of spaza shop-related assassinations, leaving residents gripped by terror and despair.
Ntombela was no ordinary man. He was a builder of dreams. Through Woza Afrika, he catapulted young talent to national stages, giving South Africans a voice, a beat, and a reason to dance. Off stage, he invested in his community – running local taxis, creating jobs, and mentoring the youth. His murder is not just the loss of a father or a businessman. It is the silencing of a cultural leader, a community pillar, a dreamer.
Emergency services reportedly met the family on the way to the hospital, but it was too late. The man who once brought music to the masses had taken his final bow.
Police investigations are underway, but fear lingers in the air. Ntombela’s death has left the Ratanda community in shock, with many mourning the loss of a man remembered for his contributions to music, education, and local economic development. – @NewsSA_Online
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