There have been many political assassinations in post-apartheid South Africa.ANC: A party under violent, criminal siege, Paul Trewhela, Mail & Guardian, 4 August 2012Quintal, Genevieve (29 July 2012). Political Murders – It's About the Dough, SAPA, In 2013 it was reported that there had been more than 450 political assassinations in the province of KwaZulu-Natal since the end of apartheid in 1994.A Provincial Concern? Political Killings in South Africa, David Bruce, SA Crime Quarterly 2013 In July 2013 the Daily Maverick reported that there had been "59 political murders in the last five years".KZN: Anatomy of an assassination, Niki Moore, Daily Maverick, 31 July 2013 In August 2016 it was reported that there had been at least twenty political assassinations in the run up to the local government elections on the 3rd of August that year, most of them in KwaZulu-Natal.Local Government Elections 2016', Data Journalism Academy, August 2016
Political assassinations have often been ascribed to battles around patronage within the ruling African National Congress.The ANC's provincial criminal enterprises problem, by Sipho Hlongwane, The Daily Maverick, 23 July 2012Power, money and the ANC: There will be blood, Mandy de Waal, The Daily Maverick, 23 January 2012Why Are Political Killings Increasing in South Africa?, James Bullock, Think Africa Press, 21 October 2013Murder takes party infighting to new level, Setumo Stone, Business Day, 20 July 2012A Culture of Political Assassination, Jane Duncan, SACSIS, 2010Murder, Lies and Corruption: Mbombela and the Bequeathal of the ANC's 'Family' War, Dale T. McKinely, 9 September 2011 However, not all assassinations are a result of conflict within the ruling party. The National Freedom Party led by Zanele Magwaza-Msibi, with its base largely in KwaZulu-Natal, claims that 21 of its members have been killed since the party was founded in early 2011.Another NFP member killed, SAPA, IOL, 18 July 2012 The Inkatha Freedom Party claims that ten of its elected representatives have been murdered.Quintal, Genevieve (29 July 2012). Political Murders – It's About the Dough, SAPA In June 2013 Abahlali baseMjondolo, an autonomous shack dwellers' movement in Durban, claimed that the murder of Nkululeko Gwala, a local leader in the organisation, was a political assassination.KZN protest leader shot 12 times, Nkululeko Nene, Daily News, 27 June 2013 In May 2016 two ANC councillors were convicted of murder following the assassination of Thuli Ndlovu, also a local leader in Abahlali baseMjondolo .ANC councillors jailed for activist’s murder, Giordano Stolley, Independent Online, 20 May 2016 In September 2020 it was reported that "Since 2016, there have been at least 38 assassinations and 14 attempted assassinations in mining localities in KwaZulu-Natal."eMpembeni mirrors the scourge of mining-related assassinations in KZN, eMpembeni mirrors the scourge of mining-related assassinations in KZN, Daily Maverick, 14 September 2020
According to Raymond Suttner "assassinations have become a regularised way of deciding on leadership and access to wealth within the ANC and its allies".Government and tripartite alliance ‘no pitch’ at Marikana memorial, 18 August 2013 In 2016 the ANC Secretary General, Gwede Mantashe said: "The reality is that selection of candidates for council is always a life-and-death issue."Political Assassinations are on the rise, Gareth van Olsen, "Rand Daily Mail", 20 February 2016 Assassinations is only part of violence that surrounds South African elections. David Bruce published an extensive report on the 2014 election pointing to the subtle and complex ways in which the ANC intimidates its political rivals. In the run up to the 2014 election the Independent Electoral Commission did little to intervene to prevent violence, the abuse of government resources and the use of the state run media (the SABC) to favour the ruling party.Democracy and violence: the threat to South Africa’s elections, Martin Plaut, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, 2 February 2018
Mark Shaw and Kim Thomas have recorded just over 1,000 individual cases of assassination or attempted assassination.
The high prevalence of political assassinations in South Africa was discussed at the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2022.UN member states call for the protection of SA’s human rights defenders and whistle-blowers, Simphiwe Sidu and Bongani Ngwenya, Daily Maverick, 21 November 2022
Former Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, was accused of interfering in police investigations into politically motivated murders. He has since been suspended as Minister of Police and replaced by Firoz Cachalia.
Location of assassinations
It has been argued that the situation is particularly bad in the provinces of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal with KwaZulu-Natal being, by far, the worst.Hlongwane, Sipho (23 July 2012). The ANC's provincial criminal enterprises problem, The Daily MaverickAnalysis: Meanwhile, on the killing fields of KZN, Mandy de Waal, Daily Maverick, 15 November 2012Can the ANC rein in grass-roots coercion?, David Bruce, Mail & Guardian, 20 September 2013 KwaZulu-Natal has been described as the "epicenter of political violence"SA cannot flourish in violent culture, by Imraan Buccus, The Mercury, 5 April 2013 while Mpumalanga has been described as "notorious for political assassinations"Two suspects released in Mpumalanga political assassination case, Sizwe Sama Yende, City Press, 2011 Fourteen assassinations have been documented in MpumalangaBruce, David (7 October 2012) and 450 in KwaZulu-Natal. It has been reported that "Since the beginning of 2011, the murder of people with high political profiles has been confined almost exclusively to KwaZulu-Natal, with 27 in the province since February 2011. According to the ANC 38 of its members have been assassinated in KwaZulu-Natal since the beginning of 2011.Wheels of justice turn slowly as political killings escalate, David Bruce, Mail & Guardian, 26 October 2012 It has been suggested that support for murders in the taxi industry in KwaZulu-Natal by leading figures in the ruling party legitimated the use of violence in the democratic era which then spilled over into the political sphere.Sanctioned taxi violence poisons KwaZulu-Natal, Niren Tolsi, Mail & Guardian, 19 October 2012Political killings in South Africa: The ultimate intimidation, David Bruce, Institute for Security Studies, 2014
Conviction rates and a possible 'licence to kill'
There has been one conviction in response to the fourteen assassinations in Mpumalanga and four in KwaZulu-Natal for forty two assassinations leading one researcher to conclude that some people are starting to believe there may be a "general licence for political killings" but that "this may only be available to people in certain political positions".
List of politicians assassinated in post-Apartheid South Africa
Thomas Shabalala, IFP MP (and former warlord), Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2005Life and times of a tyrant , Paddy Harper, Sunday Times, 2005 Thandi Mtsweni, Deputy Mayor, Secunda, Mpumalanga, 2007Quintal, Genevieve (29 July 2012). South Africa: Timeline of Reported Political Killings From 2007–2012, All Africa Rajah Naidoo, Independent councillor, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2007Slain councillor was surrounded by dispute, Karishma Ganpath,, IOL, 2007 Moss Phakoe, ANC councillor, Rustenburg, North West Province, 2009Moss Phakoe’s spirit must galvanise us, Zwelinzima Vavi, City Press, 22 July 2012 Caswell Maluleke, ANC Mayor Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, 2000 Jimmy Mtolo, local ANC leader, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2009Cops hunt for killer of Sanco man, Canaan Mdletshe, Sowetan, 2009 Sthembiso Cele, chairperson of the ANC Youth League in Umgababa, KwaZulu-Natal, 2009Timeline of Reported Political Killings From 2007–2012, Quintal, Genevieve SAPA, 29 July 2012 Bongani Ngcobo, ANC leader, Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, 2009Quintal, Genevieve (29 July 2012). Timeline of Reported Political Killings From 2007–2012, SAPA Jabulani Khumalo, ANC leader, Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, 2009 Jimmy Mohlala, ANC leader, Mbombela, Mpumalanga, 2010 James Nkambule, Congress of the People Mpumalanga provincial leader, 2010Murders rock ANC, Paddy Harper, Mmanaledi Mataboge and Sizwe sama Yende, City Press, 29 July 2012 Sammy Mpatlanyane, senior ANC politician, Mpumalanga, 2010 John Ndlovu, ANC politician, Thulamasha, Mpumalanga, 2011"Two suspects released in Mpumalanga political assassination case", Sizwe Sama Yende, City Press, 2011 S'bu Sibiya, ANC regional secretary, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2011Three arrested for the murder of eThekwini councillor, City Press, 2011 Wiseman Mshibe, ANC councillor, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2011 Wandile Mkhize, ANC chief whip, South Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, 2012Darkness visible in JZ's kingdom by the sea, Niren Tolsi, Mail & Guardian, 20 July 2012 Nhlakanipho Shabane, ANC member, South Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, 2012 Dumisani Malunga, ANC member, South Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, 2012More ANC leaders gunned down in KZN, SABC, 10 September 2012 Bheki Chiliza, ANC member, South Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, 2012More ANC leaders gunned down in KZN, SABC, 10 September 2012] Mthembeni Shezi, ANC Councillor, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal 2012Mthembeni Shezi dies of his wounds, ANC KZN, 27 September 2012 David Mosiane Chika, ANC Leader, North West 2012Murder before Mangaung, by Xolani Mbanjwa, City Press, 16 December 2012 S'bu Majola, ANC branch chairperson, Wembezi, Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal, 2013Wembezi mob barricades road after ‘political’ killing, Daily News, 12 March 2013 Makhosonke Msibi, ANC Councillor, Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, 2013ANC councillor shot dead in KZN, SAPA, 12 August 2013 Siphumelelo Buthelezi, NFP Councillor, Ulundi, 3 November 2013NFP leader shot and killed in Ulundi BY NCE MKHIZE, Business Day, NOVEMBER 05 2013 Buyisile Mkavu, ANC Councillor, KwaLanga, Uitenhage, 4 August 2014Murdered councillor a ‘hero’ , Lubabalo Ngcukana, City Press, 10 August 2014 Charles Thembisile Kanku, ANC ward councillor, Cape Town, 20 October 2014TWEET OF THE WEEK: A culture of political violence and death BY GARETH VAN ONSELEN, Business Day 05 DECEMBER 2014
List of other political assassinations in post-Apartheid South Africa
Sinethemba Myeni, 12 April 2006, Umlazi, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (former SACP member supporting independent candidate in local government elections)Umlazi Political Violence, Press Statement, 2006 Mazwi 'Komi' Zulu, 3 May 2006, Umlazi, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (former SACP member supporting independent candidate in local government elections) Scorpion Dimane, anti-mining activist, Mbizana, 2008'We Don't Want Your Development', Jacques de Wet, in Rural Resistance in South Africa, Thembele Kepe & Lungisile Ntsebeza (Eds), UCT Press, 2012 Mbongeleni Zondi, traditional leader with close ties to Jacob Zuma and the ANC, Durban, 2009 Mthunzi Nkonki, MV veteran, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, 2010 Bomber 'Radioman' Ntshangase, SACP leader, Mpumalanga, 2012Is the SACP still relevant?, Jeremy Cronin, The Times, 31 July 2012 Kevin Kunene, environmental rights activist, KwaMbonambi, 2012Amnesty International South Africa Report, 2013 Dalivuyo Bongo, National Union of Mineworkers, Rustenburg, North West, 2012NUM branch secretary shot dead at Westplats mine, SABC, 6 October 2012 Thembinkosi Qumbelo, Local activist and ANC leader, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2013Cato Crest community leader gunned down, By NKULULEKO NENE, Daily News, 18 March 2013 Two unnamed members of Abahlali baseMjondolo, KwaNdengezi, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2013Murder in KwaNdengezi, Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement, 2013 Steve Khululekile, AMCU regional organiser, Rustenburg, North West, 2013Another Marikana murder, NIVASHNI NAIR, The Times, 13 May 2013 Nkululeko Gwala, Abahlali baseMjondolo activist, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2013Africa: Killed for crying foul, by Andrew England, Financial Times, 26 August 2013