Police Minister Bheki Cele has acknowledged the growing concern over the increase in political assassinations as the 2024 elections approach.
Reports indicate that more than five councillors have been killed across various provinces including Kwazulu-Natal, North West, Mpumalanga, and the Eastern Cape.
The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) in KZN has called for additional interventions to address this alarming trend.
Minister, Cele highlighted the positive impact of the special task force established to combat political killings nationwide.
“Politicians were killed almost every week until the president went to Maritzburg and said ‘Not on my name’. That was July 2018 and then we created a special task force dealing with political killing in KZN. Almost 300 people have been arrested who are involved in those things, and 18 of them are already on life sentences. That has reduced the scourge of killings in KZN. Have we stopped it? No”.
Political violence in SA is a concern for democracy: Analyst
