Bloody Weekend: IEC Voter Registration Marred As Four Political Figures Are Killed

• The IEC voter registration weekend was overshadowed by a wave of political violence that left four politically active individuals dead
• Among the victims were a DA by-election candidate, an ANC councillor, and two MK Party members who were killed shortly after attending registration-related activities
• Police have launched investigations into the shootings, which have raised growing concerns about safety during election-related events

SOUTH AFRICA – The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) voter registration weekend has been overshadowed by a wave of political violence after four politically active individuals were killed in separate incidents across South Africa.

The incidents, which occurred in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and Gauteng, have intensified concerns over escalating political intimidation ahead of upcoming electoral processes.

DA candidate and ANC councillor gunned down

In Dunoon, Cape Town, DA Ward 104 by-election candidate and community activist Sinovuyo Dyokwe was shot and killed on Saturday, 21 June 2026. Reports indicate Dyokwe was attacked shortly after returning home from a voter registration outreach event. The motive for the killing remains unclear, and police have launched an investigation.

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In a separate incident in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, 45-year-old Sicelo Mleve, an ANC Ward 27 councillor and regional executive committee member in Nelson Mandela Bay, was shot dead in his office during a meeting attended by approximately ten people.

Police say two armed men stormed the premises, held attendees at gunpoint, and ordered them to surrender their phones before opening fire on Mleve, inflicting multiple gunshot wounds. He was declared dead at the scene.

Two MK Party members killed

Meanwhile, Gauteng police are investigating the killings of two MK Party members in Bekkersdal on the West Rand. The victims, identified as Mzwakhile Zungu and Siyabonga Mabaso, had reportedly just left a voter registration site when they were ambushed on Saturday evening.

Their bodies were later discovered with multiple gunshot wounds after residents reported hearing gunfire in the area.

The MK Party has confirmed the identities of the deceased members, describing the attack as a devastating loss to the organisation.

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ANC Ward councillor e shot dead just after DA politician's murder in Cape Town

These incidents bring the total number of politically linked killings over the IEC voter registration weekend to four, raising alarm among political parties and civil society groups about rising electoral-related violence and safety risks for activists and candidates on the ground.

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ANC Mpumalanga councillor robbed and murdered

In other news, Mpumalanga ANC councillor Thabo Ngwenya was killed and his wife assaulted in their home in Tonga, Nkomazi. According to the provincial SAPS, four balaclava-clad men entered Ngwenya's home on 2 April 2024, shot him twice and assaulted his wife.While the police are yet to establish a motive, many believe Ngwenya's murder could be politically motivated, as the councillor also served as the chairperson of Nkomazi's Municipal Public Accounts Committee.

IFP member shot and killed in KZN

Previously, Briefly News reported that Reginald Ndima, the Amajuba District Municipality's speaker, was fatally shot outside his home in KwaZulu-Natal on 30 January. Ndima was a member of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). Ndima's murder was not an isolated event, but followed a spate of political violence targeting leaders in the IFP and African National Congress (ANC). Minenhle Mkhize, a councillor for eThekwini, was killed last month. Blessed Gwala, from the IFP, said that the government must address the violence by prioritising political murders. ActionSA offered to step up and perform this role if the government continues to turn a blind eye towards it.

Source: Briefly News