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Cape Town - DA councillor Lulamile (Lux) Xesi, who died after his house caught alight in George at the weekend, looked after his community, the ANC’s sub-region chairperson said on Monday.
"I don’t think that man had any enemies, so to speak," admitted councillor Langa Langa, who had worked alongside Xesi.
"He was the person who would have said, 'I want to breach these boundaries so there is no difference between the DA and ANC'. He was quite prepared to work with anybody and everybody."
Xesi, 50, a former ANC councillor, was elected head of Ward 11 in the local government elections in August.
The race for votes in the ward was extremely close. The DA got 47.95% support and the ANC 45.05%. The EFF obtained 3.1%.
He died when his house caught alight on Sunday morning.
Langa said, when they attended a workshop together last week, Xesi was mature and comfortable enough to sit at the ANC table.
He shot down rumours that foul play was suspected, saying people were making "irresponsible and reckless statements".
"Nobody could wish for anyone to die in that fashion. I don’t think people know what they are talking about."
People should go to the police if they had information, he said.
"He was a very passionate person about service delivery. He really wanted to look out for his community and to see things corrected."
Paraffin stove may have started fire
Xesi served as an ANC councillor from 2000 to 2006. He joined the DA as a member and activist in 2013. Langa said he did not know why Xesi made the move.
Southern Cape police spokesperson Captain Malcolm Pojie said the fire started in Ngcakani Street, Thembalethu, around 06:00.
At this stage, forensic experts believed the fire started inside the house and spread gradually, burning it to the ground.
Pojie said a friend who was sleeping over escaped through a window and was treated for minor injuries.
Western Cape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato told News24 on Sunday that initial information was that a paraffin stove may have been bumped over and then caught alight.
Plato said he was in constant contact with provincial police commissioner Major General Khombinkosi Jula.
The party's chairperson of the province’s East Region, Jaco Londt, said Xesi played a key role in the DA winning that ward for the first time.
Londt said they would closely monitor the police investigation.
Xesi leaves behind a wife and three children.
