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

Bambatha Rebellion

The Bambatha Uprising was a Zulu revolt against British rule and taxation in Natal, South Africa, in 1906. The revolt was led by Bambatha kaMancinza The Bambatha Uprising was a Zulu revolt against British rule and taxation in Natal, South Africa, in 1906. The revolt was led by Bambatha kaMancinza...

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

African National Congress

The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...

 President Jacob Zuma

Jacob Zuma

Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is the President of South Africa, elected by parliament following his party's victory in the 2009 general election....

 and a cultural patron of the ANC leadership in KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....

.

At 7:00 AM on January 22, 2009, Zondi was shot to death along Stimela Avenue in Durban

Durban

Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...

’s Umlazi

Umlazi

Umlazi is a township on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The wider Umlazi area has a population of 750,000. The township is located south-west of Durban....

 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

AK-47

The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...

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 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.

External links

• Statement by Sibusiso Ndebele on the assassination
• Assassination of Mbongeleni Zondi a "horrific act" - ANC, by Jessie Duarte
  Jessie Duarte
  Jessie Yasmin Duarte is a South African politician and spokesperson for the African National Congress. A long time anti-apartheid activist, she has served variously as a special assistant to Nelson Mandela, a member of the provincial cabinet for Gauteng, and as ambassador to Mozambique before...
  
  
• Suspects identified in Zondi killing