KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has appealed to political parties and their supporters to remain calm after two people linked to political organisations were killed ahead of the local government elections.
The appeal follows the deaths of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party regional organiser Lastborn Shazi and ActionSA activist Victoria Ntombi Mkhize in separate incidents over two days.
Speaking at a police deployment parade in Durban on Tuesday, Mkhwanazi urged political organisations to set aside their differences and allow investigators to determine what led to the killings.
He warned against assuming that the murders were politically motivated before police had completed their investigations.
“We don’t want to lose any of our leaders, or any citizen for that matter, through competition over political parties,” he said.
MK Party Regional Organiser Shot at His Home
Shazi was killed at his home in uMzumbe on Monday, 2 November, according to reports.
Gunmen allegedly attacked him while he was participating in a virtual election planning meeting at his residence.
Following his death, the MK Party called on the Political Killings Task Team to investigate the incident and bring those responsible to justice.
ActionSA Activist Killed a Day Earlier
Shazi’s murder came one day after the killing of 63-year-old Mkhize near her home in Maphumulo.
Attackers allegedly stabbed and strangled the ActionSA activist. Her child is an ActionSA ward candidate.
Police are investigating both cases, but authorities have not established whether either killing was connected to political activities.
Officers Warned to Remain Neutral During Elections
Mkhwanazi also addressed police conduct ahead of Wednesday’s elections, instructing officers not to take sides or become involved in political disputes.
Speaking to officers at Hoy Park in Durban, he emphasised the importance of political neutrality and directed them to take action against anyone threatening voters or election officials.
He called on officers to exercise restraint when provoked but warned that attempts to interfere with the voting process would not be tolerated.
Additional Police Deployment Planned at High-Risk Voting Stations
Police are preparing to increase their presence across KwaZulu-Natal, where authorities have identified 165 voting stations as high-risk locations.
The deployment will involve monitoring polling stations, escorting election materials and responding to incidents that could disrupt voting.
The measures are intended to protect voters, election officials and the electoral process during Wednesday’s polls.
Twenty Political-Linked Murders Recorded During Election Period
The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) reported on Sunday that 20 murders involving political representatives, party members and supporters had been recorded during the election period.
Seven suspects had been arrested in connection with the killings.
Gauteng accounted for seven of the reported murders, while KwaZulu-Natal recorded six.
NATJOINTS also reported 139 election-related criminal cases across the country, resulting in 48 arrests.
Mkhwanazi reiterated his appeal for political parties to resolve disagreements peacefully as voters prepare to cast their ballots on Wednesday, 4 November.
