“I am a bit at ease with that news. I just don’t understand what the motive was. Was it criminal gangsters or were any other elements behind these actions?” Councillor Moses Zulu asked on Thursday.

Zulu was speaking to News24 as he travelled to the memorial service for his protectors, Zephania Dladla and Nomasonto Mhlanga, who was killed on Tuesday.

They had been guarding Zulu’s residence in Bhambayi, near Phoenix, when they were attacked.

Zulu told News24 that he was assigned the protection detail after an assessment by eThekwini Metro and police.

He said that service delivery protesters had been marching on the homes of politicians in the province and his was earmarked as one that was in need of protection.

“This ends up becoming a security threat to our families. You cannot just march to [a] councillor’s house. It is not an office. There are lots of people in the household who have nothing to do with anything public.”

eThekwini Deputy Mayor Fawzia Peer called for the removal of criminals from communities.

“I have said it before that killing a police officer is tantamount to high treason. People who are doing that, do not belong to our society, but to prison. I hope our courts will send a clear message to the would-be police killers that taking the life of a police officer and other citizens in general, will not be tolerated in this country.”

An integrated operation resulted in the arrest of three suspects people in the early hours of Thursday in KwaMashu. DM