“Dangerous Profession”: Political Hits on the Rise As South Africa Heads Towards Local Elections
- An adviser has sounded the alarm that 26 people had died in suspected political killings across 5 provinces since January 2026
- Research shows 56% of documented political assassinations since 2000 occurred during local government election years
- The adviser warned South Africa is approaching an inflexion point where political violence could threaten democratic processes
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Source: Getty Images
SOUTH AFRICA — Political killings are escalating ahead of the country's next local government elections, with a senior researcher warning that the trend poses a growing threat to South Africa's democracy.
According to Business Tech, Julian Rademeyer, senior adviser to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC), made the remarks during an interview on 702 Drive, revealing that his organisation has documented nearly 200 political assassination cases in the country since 2000.
Political deaths spike around election periods
Rademeyer said 23 suspected political assassination incidents, resulting in 26 deaths, had been recorded across five provinces in 2026 alone. His data points to a consistent pattern: approximately 56% of all documented political killings since 2000 took place during local government election years.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
He said many of those occur particular spike around municipal and local government election years, attributing the trend to intensified competition over municipal resources, tenders and political positions.
"It's a period when there's contestation over resources in municipalities," he added.
Rademeyer acknowledged that distinguishing political killings from other forms of violence is not always straightforward. Political competition frequently overlaps with organised crime, the taxi industry and disputes over access to contracts and public funds.
KwaZulu-Natal remains one of the country's most affected provinces, with a long history of political violence.
Growing sense of impunity
Despite the work of the Political Killings Task Team, Rademeyer said South Africa remained "sorely underequipped" to address the scale of the problem and cautioned that the country could be nearing an "inflexion point" where political violence becomes entrenched.
He said contract killings could be arranged for as little as R5,000, rising to between R75,000 and R100,000 depending on the circumstances, pointing to a low barrier for those commissioning hits.
Rademeyer also raised concern about public desensitisation.
"It's become more common, and I think we've somehow become a bit more inured to it," he said, warning that normalising such violence could ultimately undermine South Africa's democratic foundations.
3 Briefly News articles on political killings
- The Gauteng Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) discovered the body of an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) member who had been reported missing in Bronkhorstspruit.
- The South African Police Service has put those planning politically motivated violence on notice ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections, warning that perpetrators will face prosecution and lengthy prison terms.
- Knysna ward councillor and former executive mayor Aubrey Tsengwa was killed in a shooting in Joodsekamp on Wednesday evening, sending shockwaves through both the local community and political circles.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
