MK Party Regional Organiser Lastborn Shazi Shot Dead at Umzumbe Home During Election Preparations

• uMkhonto weSizwe Party regional organiser Lastborn Shazi was shot dead at his Umzumbe homestead in KwaZulu-Natal
• Shazi was logged into a virtual election planning meeting when he suddenly went offline, prompting colleagues to investigate
• The murder comes days before the Local Government Elections, which will take place on 4 November 2026

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has spent a decade reporting on South Africa's political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online journalism.

KWAZULU-NATAL — The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has confirmed that regional organiser Lastborn Shazi was shot and killed at his homestead in Umzumbe, in the Ugu district of KwaZulu-Natal.

The incident happened on Monday night, 2 November 2026, days before the scheduled Local Government Elections on 4 November 2026.

Shazi served as a regional organiser for the Ugu region, specifically linked to the Umdoni sub-region, and was actively involved in preparations for the upcoming vote at the time of his death.

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Shazi shot during virtual election meeting

According to the party's provincial spokesperson, Mkhuseli Mlengane, Shazi had been participating in a virtual meeting with the regional elections team on Monday evening when he abruptly stopped responding.

Mlengane told SABC News that colleagues became concerned after he dropped off the call without explanation.

"After nine, we received news that there was a shooting at his homestead. At that time he was in a meeting with the regional elections team, of course preparing for the next day of elections," Mlengane noted.

The MK Party has extended condolences to Shazi's family and appealed to its members not to draw conclusions while the investigation remains in its early stages.

Shazi's killing adds to growing concern over the safety of political figures as the country approaches the November local government elections.

Other stories about politicians being killed in KZN

• The family of slain Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) candidate councillor Lucky Sokhela said they were living in constant fear following his murder.
• An African National Congress (ANC) councillor was shot dead in Klaarwater, in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.
• KZN Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli revealed that 18 elected councillors have been murdered across the province since the 2021 Local Government Elections.

Source: Briefly News