There have been a number of political assassinations in post-apartheid South Africa. In 2013 it was reported that there had been more than 450 political assassinations in the province of KwaZulu-Natal since the end of apartheid in 1994. In July 2013 the Daily Maverick reported that there had been "59 political murders in the last five years". In August 2016 it was reported that there had been at least twenty political assassinations in the run up to the local government elections on the 3rd of August that year, most of them in KwaZulu-Natal.
Political assassinations have often been ascribed to battles around patronage within the ruling African National Congress. However, not all assassinations are a result of conflict within the ruling party. The National Freedom Party led by Zanele Magwaza-Msibi, with its base largely in KwaZulu-Natal, claims that 21 of its members have been killed since the party was founded in early 2011. The Inkatha Freedom Party claims that ten of its elected representatives have been murdered. In June 2013 Abahlali baseMjondolo, an autonomous shack dwellers' movement in Durban, claimed that the murder of Nkululeko Gwala, a local leader in the organisation, was a political assassination. In May 2016 two ANC councillors were convicted of murder following the assassination of Thuli Ndlovu, also a local leader in Abahlali baseMjondolo .
According to Raymond Suttner "assassinations have become a regularised way of deciding on leadership and access to wealth within the ANC and its allies".
It has been argued that the situation is particularly bad in the provinces of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal with KwaZulu-Natal being, by far, the worst. KwaZulu-Natal has been described as the "epicenter of political violence" while Mpumalanga has been described as "notorious for political assassinations" Fourteen assassinations have been documented in Mpumalanga and 450 in KwaZulu-Natal. It has been reported that "Since the beginning of 2011, the murder of people with high political profiles has been confined almost exclusively to KwaZulu-Natal, with 27 in the province since February 2011. According to the ANC 38 of its members have been assassinated in KwaZulu-Natal since the beginning of 2011. It has been suggested that support for murders in the taxi industry in KwaZulu-Natal by leading figures in the ruling party legitimated the use of violence in the democratic era which then spilled over into the political sphere.
Conviction rates and a possible 'licence to kill'
There has been one conviction in response to the fourteen assassinations in Mpumalanga and four in KwaZulu-Natal for forty two assassinations leading one researcher to conclude that some people are starting to believe there may be a "general licence for political killings" but that "this may only be available to people in certain political positions".
Thomas Shabalala, IFP MP (and former warlord), Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2005
Thandi Mtsweni, Deputy Mayor, Secunda, Mpumalanga, 2007
Rajah Naidoo, Independent councillor, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2007
Moss Phakoe, ANC councillor, Rustenburg, North West Province, 2009
Caswell Maluleke, ANC Mayor Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, 2000
Jimmy Mtolo, local ANC leader, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2009
Sthembiso Cele, chairperson of the ANC Youth League in Umgababa, KwaZulu-Natal, 2009
Bongani Ngcobo, ANC leader, Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, 2009
Jabulani Khumalo, ANC leader, Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, 2009
Jimmy Mohlala, ANC leader, Mbombela, Mpumalanga, 2010
James Nkambule, senior ANC politician, Mpumalanga, 2010
Sammy Mpatlanyane, senior ANC politician, Mpumalanga, 2010
John Ndlovu, ANC politician, Thulamasha, Mpumalanga, 2011
S'bu Sibiya, ANC regional secretary, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2011
Wiseman Mshibe, ANC councillor, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2011
Wandile Mkhize, ANC chief whip, South Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, 2012
Nhlakanipho Shabane, ANC member, South Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, 2012
Dumisani Malunga, ANC member, South Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, 2012
Bheki Chiliza, ANC member, South Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, 2012
Mthembeni Shezi, ANC Councillor, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal 2012
David Mosiane Chika, ANC Leader, North West 2012
S'bu Majola, ANC branch chairperson, Wembezi, Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal, 2013
Makhosonke Msibi, ANC Councillor, Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, 2013
Siphumelelo Buthelezi, NFP Councillor, Ulundi, 3 November 2013
Buyisile Mkavu, ANC Councillor, KwaLanga, Uitenhage, 4 August 2014
Charles Thembisile Kanku, ANC ward councillor, Cape Town, 20 October 2014
Sinethemba Myeni, 12 April 2006, Umlazi, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (former SACP member supporting independent candidate in local government elections)
Mazwi 'Komi' Zulu, 3 May 2006, Umlazi, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (former SACP member supporting independent candidate in local government elections)
Scorpion Dimane, anti-mining activist, Mbizana, 2008
Mbongeleni Zondi, traditional leader with close ties to Jacob Zuma and the ANC, Durban, 2009
Mthunzi Nkonki, MV veteran, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, 2010
Bomber 'Radioman' Ntshangase, SACP leader, Mpumalanga, 2012
Kevin Kunene, environmental rights activist, KwaMbonambi, 2012
Dalivuyo Bongo, National Union of Mineworkers, Rustenburg, North West, 2012
Thembinkosi Qumbelo, Local activist and ANC leader, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2013
Two unnamed members of Abahlali baseMjondolo, KwaNdengezi, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2013
Steve Khululekile, AMCU regional organiser, Rustenburg, North West, 2013
Nkululeko Gwala, Abahlali baseMjondolo activist, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 2013
Sthembiso Biyela & Buyisile Malusi, (Biyela was reported to have left the IFP to join the ANC) Durban, 2014
Njabulo Ndebele, Sibonelo “John-John” Ntuli and Ntobeko Maphumulo, NUMSA leaders, Isithebe, KwaZulu-Natal, August 2014
Thuli Ndlovu, Abahlali baseMjondolo leader, KwaNdengezi, Durban, 2014
Charles Khanku, SANCO leader, Cape Town
Mobeni Khwela, Local SACP activist, KwaNdengezi, Durban, 2014
Mbuyiselo Phajana Mnguni, Free State regional chairperson of the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union, 2014
Chris Nkosi, Gauteng secretary of the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union, Germiston, 2015
Philip Dlamini & another unnamed man, SACP members, Durban, 2015
Sikhosiphi Bazooka Rhadebe, Chairperson of the chairman of the Amadiba Crisis Committee, Mbizana, Eastern Cape, 2016
Nontsikelelo Blose, SACP activist, KwaZulu-Natal, 2016
Noby Ngombane, Head of the Free State government's policy monitoring and evaluation unit, Bloemfontein, Free State, 2005
Sammy Mpatlanyane, spokesman for the Mpumalanga department of culture, sport and recreation, Nelspruit, 2010
Oupa Matlaba, City Power, Johannesburg, 2011
Andile Matshaya, Internal Auditor, Department of Transport, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, 2012
Lawrence Moepi, Forensic Auditor at a private firm contracted to the Public Protector's Office, Johannesburg, 2013
Moses Tshake, Head Auditor, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Free State, 2013
