ANC Nelson Mandela Bay Ward 27 councillor Sicelo Mleve (left) and DA Dunoon by-election ward candidate Sinovuyo Dyokwe (right) were brutally killed
A warning by independent crime analyst Calvin Peter Rafadi that police must act earlier on threats against politicians. This comes as a spate of killings involving politically connected people raises fears over candidate safety ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
Among those killed was DA ward candidate Sinovuyo Dyokwe, who was shot and killed in Dunoon, Cape Town, after reportedly spending the day assisting with voter registration efforts.
On the same day Build One South Africa (BOSA) Gugulethu ward candidate Leon Ngcikwe’s was killed on his way back home from a registration drive to drop his daughter, leaving again to drop off the rest of his colleagues.
ANC councillor Sicelo Mleve was also killed in Zwide, Gqeberha, while two MK Party members were killed in Bekkersdal on the West Rand.
