By Hajira Khota                                                                                                                                                             06.10.2021

Concerns have been made that in the run-up to the local government elections in November, there may be an uptick in political killings in KwaZulu-Natal. This comes after a black Opel Corsa bakkie drove past an ANC branch at a school in Inanda and opened fire, killing three ladies and injuring several more. The province has a long history of fatal political warfare in the run-up to elections, as several factions fight for control.

Mary de Haas, a KZN interventionist, said she did not believe there would be an upsurge in political killings. She claimed that the biggest contributing factor was intense competition for the position of councillor.

Minister of Police Bheki Cele said that they will be out in full force with security agencies as the local government elections are approaching and a recent drive-by shooting in KwaZulu-Natal that claimed three lives and left five people wounded.

Cele said that the SA Police Service and the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure were ready for the upcoming elections.

He stated that the police had identified hotspots throughout the country and had taken precautionary measures.

Another ANC ward candidate and his family narrowly escaped death when armed men opened fire on them while sleeping in their Khayelitsha house in Site C. Siphokazi Nongalo, Vuyani Nongalo’s wife, said the shooting occurred amid political squabbles in Ward 18, a pending court case, and threats made a few days ago.

According to De Haas says that a major issue in the province is that those responsible for political killings are not prosecuted.

Premier Sihle Zikalala has urged police to track down those who “profit from such brutality.

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