The community of Dzwerani Village is still reeling with shock, after a well-known councillor was seriously injured in an attempted assassination attack on Monday morning.

Cllr Alpheus Mulandana (54) of Dzwerani, outside Vuwani, was shot under mysterious circumstances at his home by a lone gunman. It is not clear how the attacker managed to enter the house, as there was no forced entry into the house. The gunman pumped several bullets into him, and he was hit in the neck, hand and chest. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated and transferred to the provincial hospital in Polokwane.

His condition has been described as serious but stable.

When Mirror visited the family, they were still in shock and did not want to talk. "We do not trust anybody and this matter is very sensitive. Please bear with us, we cannot comment at this stage. We do not even know who did it and speaking to you might jeopardise police investigations; we are not safe here," he said.

Mundalana survived a hijacking attempt last year, and the suspects in the case have not yet been arrested.

Cllr Mundalana has been hailed as a man of the people by his community, but it is suspected that there are people who are jealous of his work. "This man has done a lot for his community. If this is the way people repay hard work, it is a shock," said a community member who wants to remain anonymous.

"He is always thinking of new things for his community and most projects in his ward can be credited to him," said the source.

Community members and the family are also in the dark about the motive behind the shooting. It is alleged that the gunman had fled with the house keys and phones.

Attempts to get comments from the mayor of Thulamela municipality, Khose Vho Thivhulawi Makumbane, drew a blank as his phone went unanswered.

The spokesperson for the Limpopo police, Supt Mohale Ramatseba, confirmed the incident. "We have opened an attempted murder docket. Investigations are continuing and we expect to make an arrest soon." He called on all people who might have information about the case to forward it to the police.