KwaZulu-Natal IFP Councillor’s Family Fears for Their Safety Following His Murder
- Lucky Sokhela, an Inkatha Freedom Party member for Ward 8 in Mshwathi Local Municipality, was shot and killed on 1 September 226
- Gunmen allegedly followed Sokhela into his home and murdered him in front of young children, leaving his family shaken
- Sokhela is the second IFP councillor killed in a single week, raising urgent concerns about political violence in the province
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Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
KWAZULU-NATAL - The family of slain Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) candidate councillor Lucky Sokhela says they are living in constant fear following his murder.
Sokhela was killed on 1 September 2026 in KwaSwayimani, in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. He was standing as a candidate for Ward 8 in the Mshwathi Local Municipality. Sokhela was killed when gunmen allegedly followed him into his home and opened fire. The attack took place in front of young children and other adults who were present at the time.
KZN Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli recently revealed that 18 elected councillors had been murdered across the province since the 2021 Local Government Elections.
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Family opens up about the ordeal
A family spokesperson, who chose to remain anonymous, described the mood inside the home since the killing.
"What we want is peace because we are a peaceful family. We don't like violence. So, this incident shocked us to the core, even worse that it happened in front of young children and other adults. What I want to see is peace and protection for the family because this might happen again," the spokesperson said.
Sokhela's death has deepened alarm within the IFP following a week of deadly violence. He is the second IFP councillor to be shot dead in just seven days. Khethelo Mdluli was killed the previous Friday in uMlalazi, another part of KwaZulu-Natal.
The IFP has since called on the Political Killings Task Team to investigate the murders.
Arrests made after councillors are killed
Briefly News reported that the Gauteng Political Killings Task Team made breakthroughs in two separate high-profile murder cases.
The task team was investigating the 2025 murder of the ANC's Thabang Masemola and the 2026 murder of the EFF's Aaron Makola.
South Africans weighed in on the developments and breakthroughs made, praising the police for their efforts in bringing the suspects to book.
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Source: Briefly News
