A prominent former leader of the ANC Youth League in KwaZulu-Natal has been found dead and his body dumped in a river in Donnybrook in the southern part of the politically volatile KwaZulu-Natal.

Mduduzi Memela’s body was found with what appears to be a stab wound on the neck and his eyes were reportedly gouged out.

Memela was the second secretary of the youth league in the region and took over from anti-corruption crusader, Thabiso Zulu. At the time of his death he worked as a general worker for the ANC-run Harry Gwala District Municipality anchored in the town of Ixopo. 

According to his friends who spoke to African Times and asked not to be named, he disappeared briefly and was later found dead over the weekend. 

“He was mysteriously found dead and some of us suspect foul play in all this. The police should thoroughly investigate this matter,” one of Memela’s friends said. 

The crime scene was reportedly attended to by police officers from the Donnybrook police station and an investigation is underway to get to the bottom of his death. 

The chairperson of the ANC in the region, Zamo Nxumalo, confirmed Memela’s death, but said they have little details about what happened.

“We were informed about the matter and as the ANC in the region we were still making plans to visit Memela’s family to mourn,” Nxumalo, who is also the Harry Gwala district mayor, said. 

Though unrelated, early last week the ANC in Mandeni, also in KwaZulu-Natal, lost one of its councillors, Phendukani Mabhida, who was shot dead by two hitmen who are now behind bars. Before he was killed, Mabhida complained that the ANC was shielding corrupt officials at the Mandeni local municipality where he was also a councillor.