Security review comes as campaign enters final days
KwaZulu-Natal’s election security plans will come under scrutiny on Friday when Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia and National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola assess the readiness of police across the province.
The review is scheduled five days before the 4 November local government elections, at a point when political parties are intensifying their final campaigning and concerns about the safety of candidates, councillors and party representatives remain high.
The assessment follows a long-running pattern of political violence in the province. Since the 2021 local government elections, 18 councillors have been assassinated in KwaZulu-Natal, with five of those killings recorded in eThekwini.
That record has cast a shadow over the final phase of the campaign. The province’s political contest includes the country’s only metropolitan municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, eThekwini, where rival parties are seeking support in communities stretching from the Durban inner city to surrounding township and rural areas.
Two campaign volunteers killed in Umgababa
The current campaign was also struck by violence on 15 October, when two ANC campaign volunteers were shot dead during a door-to-door operation in Umgababa, south of Durban. Another person was critically injured in the attack.
The shooting has intensified questions about whether political workers can campaign freely in areas where party activity has become associated with intimidation and targeted attacks. It has also placed additional pressure on the police to demonstrate that election preparations extend beyond polling stations and include the protection of campaign teams during the last days before voting.
Political parties and candidates have raised concerns about intimidation, the destruction of election posters and killings linked to political disputes. Some candidates have said they are afraid to campaign in particular areas, according to previous reporting.
President condemns attacks on political representatives
President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the killings of councillors and political candidates, warning that political violence threatens both democratic institutions and the ability of voters to choose their representatives.
“Those who are killing councillors, those who are killing candidates are really seeking to destroy the efficacy of our democracy.”
Ramaphosa made the remarks during a door-to-door campaign in eMagabheni, KwaZulu-Natal. He said he had instructed police to pursue those responsible for the murders and ensure that they were prosecuted.
He also condemned attacks on serving councillors and prospective candidates, saying those behind the killings should be caught and brought before the courts.
What is at stake before election day
The police assessment will take place as parties complete their final rounds of public engagement. The immediate concern is whether candidates, volunteers and supporters can move through communities without threats or disruption, while ensuring that election-related activity does not become a trigger for further violence.
The concerns reported by parties include several forms of interference:
- Intimidation of candidates, campaign workers and supporters;
- Destruction of election posters and other campaign material; and
- Politically linked killings involving councillors and candidates.
These issues are particularly sensitive in KwaZulu-Natal, where local government politics has previously been connected to deadly disputes. The number of councillors killed since 2021 has made the province a central focus of national attention as election day approaches.
Record of reported political killings
| Issue | Reported figure or detail |
|---|---|
| Councillors killed since the 2021 local elections | 18 |
| Deaths recorded in eThekwini | 5 |
| ANC campaign volunteers killed in Umgababa | 2 |
| Date of the Umgababa shooting | 15 October |
The figures provide the backdrop against which Cachalia and Masemola will consider the province’s operational readiness. The assessment is also likely to be closely watched by parties whose members have reported threats or disruptions during the campaign.
For voters, the violence has created uncertainty around the final days of political activity. Door-to-door campaigning, public meetings and party mobilisation are important parts of local elections, but the reported attacks have raised questions about whether political representatives can reach communities safely.
The police review does not change the election date. South Africans are due to vote on 4 November, with security arrangements expected to remain a key part of the preparations in KwaZulu-Natal. The national focus now falls on whether the authorities can protect candidates and campaign workers while safeguarding the public’s right to participate in the democratic process.
