KEY POINTS
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MKP organiser Lastborn Shazi was shot dead at his home during an election campaign call.
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Police say 20 politically linked murders were recorded during the municipal election period.
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President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed 510 soldiers to KwaZulu-Natal amid election violence fears.
An organiser for South Africa’s opposition uMkhonto weSizwe Party has been shot dead at his home ahead of local government elections, raising fresh concerns about political violence in the country.
Lastborn Shazi, an organiser for the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), was killed late on Monday in KwaZulu-Natal province while coordinating the party’s election campaign through a Zoom call.
South African police confirmed on Tuesday that a murder case had been opened. Senior police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda said investigators were working to establish the motive for the killing.
The incident occurred just a day before South Africa’s November 4 municipal elections, heightening concerns about the safety of political party representatives, campaigners and supporters during the election period.
The MKP identified Shazi as one of its organisers. Authorities have not publicly established who killed him or whether the attack was directly linked to his political activities.
Police record 20 politically linked murders
The killing comes amid wider concerns over election-related violence across South Africa.
Police said over the weekend that 20 murders involving political representatives, party members and supporters had been recorded during the municipal election period.
The latest incident has added to fears that political competition could escalate into further violence as parties intensify their campaigns and seek support ahead of voting.
Authorities have also identified more than 165 polling stations in KwaZulu-Natal as high-risk locations, underscoring the security challenges facing law enforcement agencies in the province.
MK Party threatens ANC stronghold
The MKP, led by former South African president Jacob Zuma, is emerging as a major challenger to the governing African National Congress (ANC), particularly in KwaZulu-Natal.
Recent opinion polls project the opposition party could become the largest party in the eThekwini metropolitan area, the province’s economic hub, potentially displacing the ANC from its position of dominance there.
Zuma formed the MKP following a bitter split with the ANC in 2023. The party’s rapid rise helped weaken the governing party’s support during the 2024 national election.
The contest in eThekwini is particularly significant because control of the metropolitan municipality would give the winning party influence over local governance and service delivery in one of South Africa’s most important urban centres.
However, polling projections do not guarantee an electoral outcome, and the final results will determine whether the MKP can translate its growing support into political control.
Ramaphosa deploys soldiers to support police
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered the deployment of 510 soldiers to KwaZulu-Natal last week to assist police with election security.
The deployment is intended to support law enforcement operations as authorities prepare for voting at locations considered vulnerable to violence.
KwaZulu-Natal has become a major focus of security preparations because of the number of polling stations classified as high-risk and the intense political competition between the ANC and opposition parties.
The killing of Shazi has renewed questions about whether the security measures will be sufficient to protect political campaigners and voters during the election.
Police have not announced a motive for the killing, and the investigation remains ongoing.
