Ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections, scheduled for 6 November 2026, concerns over political violence intensified following a series of attacks and killings involving local political figures and election candidates.
On 20 June 2026, Sinovuyo Dyokwe, a Democratic Alliance (DA) ward by-election candidate and community activist in Du Noon, Cape Town was shot and killed while returning home after participating in the first day of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) voter registration weekend. Reports subsequently emerged that Dyokwe had allegedly received extortion threats before her death, prompting investigators to examine whether organised crime, rather than party-political rivalry may have been a contributing factor. At the time of reporting, no arrests had been made.
Later that day, Sicelo Mleve, the African National Congress (ANC) Ward 27 councillor in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality and a member of the ANC’s Nelson Mandela Regional Executive Committee, was shot and killed by unknown gunmen while holding a meeting in his office in Zwide, Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. At approximately 18:50 PM two-armed men entered the office during a meeting of about 10 people, demanding cellphones and allegedly asking for him by name before shooting him. The other attendees escaped unharmed. According to reports, Mleve had previously received threats and had previously been provided with protection, which he had reportedly relinquished before the attack Two suspects, aged 20 and 21 were later arrested and appeared in Brighton Magistrate’s Court on 3 July 2026 in connection with the murder.
The killings prompted widespread condemnation and renewed concerns over violence targeting political figures ahead of the elections. The DA described Dyokwe’s murder as an attack on democratic participation and called for a thorough investigation. The South African Communist Party (SACP) similarly condemned Mleve’s killing, warning that it reflected an escalation of political violence and organised criminal activity in the Eastern Cape. These attacks underscored the persistent risks faced by local political representatives and candidates during election periods and highlighted the need for effective investigations, enhanced security measures and stronger protections to safeguard democratic participation and electoral integrity.