PRETORIA, GAUTENG — Suspected political assassinations in South Africa have escalated to unprecedented levels, claiming at least 43 lives between January and September, according to a new report released on Friday. With local government elections just one month away, the surge in violence highlights the intense and often deadly stakes of the upcoming political contest.
The country is scheduled to hold its local government elections on November 4. Various political parties are actively campaigning, hoping to capitalize on growing public disillusionment with the African National Congress (ANC). The ANC has remained the dominant political force since the dawn of democracy in 1994, but currently faces significant voter backlash over critical issues, including collapsed infrastructure, rising crime rates, and widespread corruption.
The alarming death toll was detailed in a comprehensive report titled Bullets and Ballots. Spokespersons for the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, the organization behind the research, noted that the 43 suspected political killings recorded so far this year have already surpassed the total number of such fatalities for any full year since the group began tracking these incidents in 2015.
According to the organization’s database, there have been 45 politically linked attacks recorded up to September 30. The violence has disproportionately targeted key community and political figures, specifically focusing on political party officials, ward councilors, members of civic organizations and movements, and traditional leadership figures.
The report provides a stark breakdown of the victims among the 43 individuals killed. The ruling ANC has suffered the highest number of casualties, with 13 of its members assassinated. This is followed by the MK party, which has lost eight members to the ongoing political violence.
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