THE battle for the throne at the Mnisi Traditional Council seems to be intensifying by the day.
Another rightful heir to the throne was gunned down in cold blood on Saturday, 29 July.
Madala Eric Mnisi (72), the late Chief Clyde Mnisi's uncle, was killed after the family met to appoint him as the new chief who would replace Chief Clyde.
It happened when Mnisi and his sister were attacked by unknown people on their way home from Islington, Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga. It's alleged that the attackers, driving in a grey VW Polo, started firing shots at Mnisi's car, killing him instantly and injuring her sisters. The suspects then fled the scene.
Sources told Daily Sun that a day before Mnisi was appointed, a group of unknown people stormed his house and instructed his son to go and wake him up. However, the son refused.
The son was allegedly shot and is receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital.
In March 2023, the notorious Chief Clyde Mnisi was fatally shot by heavily armed men on the airport road between White River and Karino.
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The 37-year-old was with his driver when a Toyota Avanza they were travelling in had a tyre puncture. While waiting for assistance, it's alleged that a group of about five heavily armed men wearing balaclavas and gloves came in a BMW X5.
Armed with high-calibre rifles, they went straight to the passenger side where the chief was sitting. It's further reported that they then uttered some words to the chief before they began shooting.
Mnisi sustained multiple gunshot wounds and sadly succumbed to his injuries. After that, the suspects reportedly fled the scene in their vehicle.
Mnisi has been described as one of the alleged kingpins in a massive trafficking network of rhino poaching syndicates.
He was implicated in the rhino poaching syndicate, where one of the members was sentenced to 32 years.
A month after he was killed, his widow, Charlene Mnisi (30), was assassinated in their family home, and two other family members were injured.
Kgoshi Lameck Mokoena of the Congress of South African Traditional Leaders (Contralesa) said they condemn this incident.
"Our concern is how the issue of the succession is being handled at Mnisi Royal family. We hope there are still elders who can call all parties together to say that this is not on. There is a way of handling disputes in terms of succession in each royal family, but not through a barrel of a gun," he said.
Police spokesman Brigadier Selvy Mohlala confirmed that Mhala cops are investigating a case of murder, adding that no one has been arrested as yet for all three murders.
