MK Party Now Most Targeted by Political Assassinations, Expert Tells SA Commission

• An organised crime expert told a formal commission hearing in Pretoria that political assassinations in South Africa have shifted beyond the ANC
• Dr Mark Shaw presented data recording 2,458 politically motivated killings between 2000 and 2025, with nearly 30 already logged in 2026 alone
• KwaZulu-Natal was confirmed as the province with the highest concentration of political hits, though the trend now spans all provinces

PRETORIA — An organised crime expert testified before a formal commission hearing on 2 September 2026 that the uMkhonto weSizwe Party has emerged as the most targeted political organisation in South Africa when measured against the latest assassination data.

According to Newzroom Afrika, Dr Mark Shaw, presenting findings from his research database, told the commission that his records show 2,458 politically motivated killings documented from open-source platforms between 2000 and 2025. He cautioned that the figure was not exhaustive, as the database relies on publicly available information rather than comprehensive law enforcement data.

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Political killings spread across all parties

Shaw noted a significant shift in the pattern of political violence. Historically, assassinations occurred predominantly within the ANC, but the latest figures indicate that targeted killings have spread across all political parties. He added that close to 30 incidents of politically motivated hits had already been recorded in 2026, though the corresponding report had not yet been published at the time of his testimony.

Responding to a question from Advocate Justlison, Shaw confirmed that KwaZulu-Natal carries the highest concentration of political assassinations nationally, though he declined to provide a specific percentage breakdown without the figures in front of him, offering instead to supply the commission with precise data at a later stage.

Organised crime and politics intersecting

Shaw described the contracting of violence for political purposes as a serious and tangible harm produced by the organised crime economy in South Africa. He said the phenomenon damages constitutional democracy at the local level by undermining the normal practice of politics and recruiting individuals into criminal networks to carry out targeted killings. His database categorises the killings into four distinct types: political killings, taxi-related killings, organised crime hits, and personal hits.

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Shaw also testified that South Africa ranks seventh globally among countries most affected by corruption, reinforcing the broader context in which political violence and criminal markets operate.

Watch Dr Mark Shaw's testimony at the commission hearing:

Politics one of SA's most dangerous jobs

In a related article, Briefly News reported on the alarming rise of political killings in South Africa, where nearly 200 political assassinations have been documented since 2000. This increasing violence, particularly during election cycles, raises serious concerns about the future of civic engagement and safety in the nation.

Source: Briefly News