In brief
Lastborn Shazi, coordinator for the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, was shot dead in KwaZulu‑Natal while on a Zoom call to organize the party’s campaign for the autumn municipal elections. Police have opened an investigation and are reviewing a spike in political killings across the province. The incident heightens concerns over violence during South Africa’s local elections, where the MKP is positioning itself for a historic win in the eThekwini metropolitan area.
Lastborn Shazi, a coordinator for the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), was shot dead on Monday night in his home in KwaZulu‑Natal while conducting a Zoom call to arrange the party’s campaign. The killing came just days before South Africa’s municipal elections, prompting a swift police investigation and raising alarms about a growing wave of political violence ahead of the vote.
The incident was reported by senior police spokesman Robert Netshiunda, who said the murder investigation had been opened after Shazi was found dead the night before. Netshiunda also noted that the police are looking into the motive behind the killing as the country readies for local elections that will decide who runs the municipal councils and ultimately the mayors of key towns.
Authorities have documented an uptick in violent incidents involving political representatives, party members and supporters during the election period. In the weeks leading up to the vote, police counted 20 murders across the country under a broader category of “political killings.” The province of KwaZulu‑Natal now has more than 165 polling stations identified as high‑risk, a figure that has prompted the South African government to deploy more than 500 soldiers to support police operations.
The MKP, led by former President Jacob Zuma, sprang from a split with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in 2023. Since its inception, the MKP has steadily eroded ANC support, most notably in the 2024 national election where it siphoned a significant share of the ANC’s vote base. In the current campaign, polls project the MKP as the largest party in the eThekwini metropolitan area – the economic hub of the province – and the main challenger to the ANC’s entrenched local dominance.
Where municipal elections determine the councillors who will in turn elect mayors, the stakes for local governance are high. Mayors oversee essential municipal services such as water, sanitation and rubbish collection, making the outcomes of these contests critical for the day‑to‑day lives of residents.
The fundraising ceremony where Shazi was shot took place years after the political schism that birthed the MKP. According to the reports, Shazi was on a Zoom call coordinating election logistics when the fatal shooting occurred. His death shocked party members, and the MKP has described the incident as an attempt to “stifle their campaign and maintain the ANC’s dominance.”
"A murder investigation had been opened after Lastborn Shazi – identified by the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) – was shot dead late on Monday at his home while on a Zoom call coordinating the party’s election campaign," said Senior Police Spokesman Robert Netshiunda.
Key questions linger. First, what prompted the murder of a political organiser during a critical campaign period? Second, how will this incident influence voter turnout and confidence in the electoral process, given the already documented surge in politically motivated killings? And third, what steps will the South African government take to mitigate violence while ensuring that the elections remain free and fair?
The MKP’s goal remains to become the city’s governing party, breaking the ANC’s dominance in eThekwini. The outcome depends not only on the party’s campaign effectiveness but also on how the country navigates the looming threat of election‑related violence. As the election day approaches, observers will watch closely how the new security deployment, the police’s investigatory process, and the broader political climate might shape the final ballot tallies.
