Who are the politicians and candidates killed in the past 6 months?

Following a speech made by the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, earlier this week during a political campaign, in which he addressed his concerns about the spate of mass murders and politically related killings, some of the names of the recently murdered politicians and candidates have been shared.

According to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC), at least 43 political assassinations have been recorded since the beginning of the year.

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Political figures who were brutally murdered

According to IOL, these are some of the names of the political councillors, candidates, and organisers who were killed over the last six months:

Sinovuyo Dyokwe

From the Democratic Alliance, Dyokwe was shot dead during the voter registration weekend in June in the Western Cape. Dyokwe was a DA ward by-election candidate.

Sicelo Mleve

The African National Congress Ward 27 councillor was shot at close range on the same weekend as Dyokwe, in Nelson Mandela Bay, while he was meeting with residents.

Mozwakhile Zungu and Siyabonga Mabaso

Both from the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, Zungu and Mabaso were ambushed and shot dead after leaving an active voter registration site in June in the West Rand, Bekkersdal.

Lucky Sokhela

Sokhela, from the Inkatha Freedom Party, was shot in his KwaZulu-Natal home in September. He was a Ward 8 candidate for the uMshwathi Local Municipality.

Khethelo Mdluli

Another Inkatha Freedom Party member, Mdluli, a Ward 17 candidate and PR councillor for the uMlalazi Local Municipality, was shot in front of his children in his home in KwaZulu-Natal, around August/September. He later died in hospital.

Michael Thulani Mbana

Democratic Alliance member Mbana was a Caucus Leader and Ward 14 candidate. He was shot several times at close range outside his house this October in Taylor Park, Sasolburg. It is alleged that two men lured him out of his home around 21:40 before opening fire and fleeing on foot.

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Cyril Ramaphosa condemning political violence

In his recent door-to-door campaign in Magabheni, in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, the president condemned the killings, deeming them a blight on the architecture of democracy in the country.

“Those who are killing councillors, those who are killing candidates are really seeking to destroy the efficacy of our democracy,” he said.

LGE 2026 | ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the killing of councillors and candidates, warning that such violence threatens the integrity of South Africa’s democracy. He says those responsible must be prosecuted. https://t.co/l2ZZk5J8ht

— SABC News (@SABCNews) October 28, 2026

Featured image X/@IanCameron

Also see: President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks on impact of country’s growing violence