South African Opposition Organiser Killed on Eve of Local Elections; 20 Political Murders Recorded
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — South African police said on Tuesday that an organiser for the opposition uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) was killed late on Monday at his home in KwaZulu-Natal province, one day before South Africa's local government elections. Senior police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda said a murder case had been opened after Lastborn Shazi, whom the MKP identified, was shot dead at his home while on a Zoom call coordinating the party's election campaign. Police are investigating the motive.
South African police said at the weekend that 20 murders involving political representatives, party members and supporters had been recorded during the municipal election period. Recent polls project the MKP to emerge as the largest party in the hotly contested eThekwini metropolitan area — the economic hub of KwaZulu-Natal province — and displace the governing African National Congress (ANC) there. Former President Jacob Zuma leads the MKP after a bitter split with the ANC in 2023; the party's rise helped erode the ANC's support in the 2024 national election.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa last week ordered the deployment of 510 soldiers to KwaZulu-Natal to support police, who have identified more than 165 polling stations in the province as high-risk. South Africa's local government elections are due on Wednesday, November 4.
Source: Reuters
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 南非夸祖鲁-纳塔尔省Durban市政厅。/ Durban City Hall in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. 摄影：Mariannebritsstrodl，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons
