Political assassinations in post-apartheid South Africa

There have been a number of political assassinations in post-apartheid South Africa.[1][2] Many have been ascribed to battles around patronage within the ruling African National Congress[3][4][5] and it has been suggested that there was an escalation of political assassinations in the lead up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[6][7][8] However not all assassinations are a result of conflict within the ruling party. The National Freedom Party led by Zanele Magwaza-Msibi, with its base largely in KwaZulu-Natal, claims that 21 of its members have been killed since the party was founded in early 2011.[9] The Inkatha Freedom Party claims that ten of its elected representatives have been murdered.[10] According to the Daily Maverick there have been "59 political murders in the last five years".[11]

According to Raymond Suttner "assassinations have become a regularised way of deciding on leadership and access to wealth within the ANC and its allies".[12]

Location of assassinations

It has been argued that the situation is particularly bad in the provinces of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal with KwaZulu-Natal being, by far, the worst.[7][13][14][15] KwaZulu-Natal has been described as the "epicenter of political violence"[16] while Mpumalanga has been described as "notorious for political assassinations"[17] Fourteen assassinations have been documented in Mpumalanga[18] and 450 in KwaZulu-Natal.[19] It has been reported that "Since the beginning of 2011, the murder of people with high political profiles has been confined almost exclusively to KwaZulu-Natal, with 27 in the province since February 2011.[18] According to the ANC 38 of its members have been assassinated in KwaZulu-Natal since the beginning of 2011.[20] It has been suggested that support for murders in the taxi industry in KwaZulu-Natal by leading figures in the ruling party legitimated the use of violence in the democratic era which then spilled over into the political sphere.[20][21][22]

Conviction rates and a possible 'licence to kill'

There has been one conviction in response to the fourteen assassinations in Mpumalanga and four in KwaZulu-Natal for the forty two assassinations leading one researcher to conclude that some people are starting to believe there may be a "general licence for political killings" but that "this may only be available to people in certain political positions".[18]

List of politicians assassinated in post-Apartheid South Africa

List of other political assassinations in post-Apartheid South Africa

List of assassinations of government officials in post-Apartheid South Africa

See also

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 ANC: A party under violent, criminal siege, Paul Trewhela, Mail & Guardian, 4 August 2012
  2. ↑ Quintal, Genevieve (29 July 2012). Political Murders – It's About the Dough, SAPA,
  3. 1 2 3 The ANC's provincial criminal enterprises problem, by Sipho Hlongwane, The Daily Maverick, 23 July 2012
  4. ↑ Power, money and the ANC: There will be blood, Mandy de Waal, The Daily Maverick, 23 January 2012
  5. ↑ Why Are Political Killings Increasing in South Africa?, James Bullock, Think Africa Press, 21 October 2013
  6. ↑ Murder takes party infighting to new level, Setumo Stone, Business Day, 20 July 2012
  7. 1 2 3 A Culture of Political Assassination, Jane Duncan, SACSIS, 2010
  8. ↑ Murder, Lies and Corruption: Mbombela and the Bequeathal of the ANC's 'Family' War, Dale T. McKinely, 9 September 2011
  9. ↑ Another NFP member killed, SAPA, IOL, 18 July 2012
  10. 1 2 Quintal, Genevieve (29 July 2012). Political Murders – It's About the Dough, SAPA
  11. 1 2 KZN: Anatomy of an assassination, Niki Moore, Daily Maverick, 31 July 2013
  12. ↑ Government and tripartite alliance ‘no pitch’ at Marikana memorial, 18 August 2013
  13. ↑ Hlongwane, Sipho (23 July 2012). The ANC's provincial criminal enterprises problem, The Daily Maverick
  14. ↑ Analysis: Meanwhile, on the killing fields of KZN, Mandy de Waal, Daily Maverick, 15 November 2012
  15. ↑ Can the ANC rein in grass-roots coercion?, David Bruce, Mail & Guardian, 20 September 2013
  16. ↑ SA cannot flourish in violent culture, by Imraan Buccus, The Mercury, 5 April 2013
  17. ↑ Two suspects released in Mpumalanga political assassination case, Sizwe Sama Yende, City Press, 2011
  18. 1 2 3 Bruce, David (7 October 2012)
  19. ↑ A Provincial Concern? Political Killings in South Africa, David Bruce, SA Crime Quarterly 2013
  20. 1 2 Wheels of justice turn slowly as political killings escalate, David Bruce, Mail & Guardian, 26 October 2012
  21. ↑ Sanctioned taxi violence poisons KwaZulu-Natal, Niren Tolsi, Mail & Guardian, 19 October 2012
  22. ↑ Political killings in South Africa: The ultimate intimidation, David Bruce, Institute for Security Studies, 2014
  23. ↑ Life and times of a tyrant, Paddy Harper, Sunday Times, 2005
  24. ↑ Quintal, Genevieve (29 July 2012). South Africa: Timeline of Reported Political Killings From 2007–2012, All Africa
  25. ↑ Slain councillor was surrounded by dispute, Karishma Ganpath,, IOL, 2007
  26. ↑ Moss Phakoe’s spirit must galvanise us, Zwelinzima Vavi, City Press', 22 July 2012
  27. ↑ Cops hunt for killer of Sanco man, Canaan Mdletshe, Sowetan, 2009
  28. 1 2 Timeline of Reported Political Killings From 2007–2012, Quintal, Genevieve SAPA, 29 July 2012
  29. ↑ Quintal, Genevieve (29 July 2012). Timeline of Reported Political Killings From 2007–2012, SAPA
  30. 1 2 3 4 Murders rock ANC, Paddy Harper, Mmanaledi Mataboge and Sizwe sama Yende, City Press, 29 July 2012
  31. ↑ "Two suspects released in Mpumalanga political assassination case", Sizwe Sama Yende, City Press, 2011
  32. 1 2 Three arrested for the murder of eThekwini councillor, City Press, 2011
  33. ↑ Darkness visible in JZ's kingdom by the sea, Niren Tolsi, Mail & Guardian, 20 July 2012
  34. ↑ More ANC leaders gunned down in KZN, SABC, 10 September 2012
  35. ↑ More ANC leaders gunned down in KZN, SABC, 10 September 2012]
  36. ↑ Mthembeni Shezi dies of his wounds, ANC KZN, 27 September 2012
  37. ↑ Murder before Mangaung, by Xolani Mbanjwa, City Press, 16 December 2012
  38. ↑ Wembezi mob barricades road after ‘political’ killing, Daily News, 12 March 2013
  39. ↑ ANC councillor shot dead in KZN, SAPA, 12 August 2013
  40. ↑ NFP leader shot and killed in Ulundi BY NCE MKHIZE, Business Day, NOVEMBER 05 2013
  41. ↑ Murdered councillor a ‘hero’, Lubabalo Ngcukana, City Press, 10 August 2014
  42. ↑ TWEET OF THE WEEK: A culture of political violence and death BY GARETH VAN ONSELEN, Business Day 05 DECEMBER 2014
  43. 1 2 Umlazi Political Violence, Press Statement, 2006
  44. ↑ 'We Don't Want Your Development', Jacques de Wet, in Rural Resistance in South Africa, Thembele Kepe & Lungisile Ntsebeza (Eds), UCT Press, 2012
  45. ↑ A Culture of Political Assassination, Jane Duncan, SACSIS, 2010
  46. ↑ Is the SACP still relevant?, Jeremy Cronin, The Times, 31 July 2012
  47. ↑ Amnesty International South Africa Report, 2013
  48. ↑ NUM branch secretary shot dead at Westplats mine, SABC, 6 October 2012
  49. ↑ Cato Crest community leader gunned down, By NKULULEKO NENE, Daily News, 18 March 2013
  50. ↑ Murder in KwaNdengezi, Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement, 2013
  51. ↑ Another Marikana murder, NIVASHNI NAIR, The Times, 13 May 2013
  52. ↑ KZN protest leader shot 12 times, Nkululeko Nene, Daily News, 27 June 2013
  53. ↑ Africa: Killed for crying foul, by Andrew England, Financial Times, 26 August 2013
  54. ↑ Political intolerance behind KZN murders, Sihle Mahanda, The Mercury, 1 April 2014
  55. ↑ Numsa condemns killing of its three shopstewards in Kwazulu – Natal
  56. ↑ Another Abahlali baseMjondolo member assassinated, Daneel Knoetze, GroundUp, 1 October 2014
  57. ↑ Lili ‘hit’ exposes ANC cracks, Warda Mayer, Cape Argus, 2014
  58. ↑ Ziyanda izigameko zokubulawa kwabantu kwaNdengezi KZN Eyethu, 2014
  59. ↑ TWEET OF THE WEEK: A culture of political violence and death BY GARETH VAN ONSELEN, Business Day 05 DECEMBER 2014
  60. ↑ Union leader gunned down in Germiston, Shanti Aboobaker, IOL, 14 April 2015
  61. ↑ Inchanga shooting: call for calm, MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA, Daily News, 27 January 2016
  62. ↑ Quintal, Genevieve South Africa: Timeline of Reported Political Killings From 2007–2012, All Africa, 29 July 2012
  63. ↑ Death of City Power procurement specialist silences staff members, CHARLES MOLELE, Mail & Guardian, 8 February 2013
  64. ↑ Freedom is a killer, Njabulu S. Ndebele, City Press, 29 July 2012
  65. ↑ Moepi's killing a hit:Cosatu, The Times, 21 October 2013
  66. ↑ Who Killed Moses Tshake?, GroundUp, Mandy de Waal and Jon Pienaar, 1 April 2014
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