At least 43 people were killed in suspected political hits in South Africa by September, according to a report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC).
The organisation’s database recorded 45 politically linked attacks through September 30, ahead of the country’s local government elections scheduled for November 4.
KwaZulu-Natal records most attacks
GI-TOC said most of the recorded attacks took place in KwaZulu-Natal, followed by Gauteng, which recorded 10 attacks.
The main targets included political party officials, ward councillors, members of civic organisations and movements, and traditional leadership, according to the database.
The report, titled Bullets and Ballots, said 13 of those killed were members of the African National Congress (ANC), while eight were members of the MK Party (MKP).
GI-TOC said the death toll had already exceeded the full-year total recorded since it began monitoring politically linked attacks in 2015. The organisation described itself as an independent civil-society group headquartered in Geneva.
Election seen as test for ANC
The local government election is expected to serve as a test of support for the ANC ahead of the 2029 national elections. The party, described in the report as South Africa’s largest since 1994, lost its majority in 2024.
The report linked voter disillusionment with the ANC to concerns including collapsed infrastructure, crime and corruption. The MKP, led by former president Jacob Zuma, was described as having its stronghold in KwaZulu-Natal.
GI-TOC warned that the period ahead could remain dangerous, saying the “highest-risk months still ahead as contests for political power gather pace.”
The killings are described as suspected political assassinations or political hits; the available figures do not establish that every death was conclusively politically motivated.
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