At least 43 people have been killed in attacks suspected to be politically motivated in South Africa between January and September, according to a report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC).
The figure was recorded ahead of the country’s local government elections scheduled for November 4, with political parties preparing for a closely contested vote.
GI-TOC said its database documented 45 politically linked attacks between January 1 and September 30. The incidents involved political party officials, ward councillors, members of civic groups and traditional leaders.
The report, titled Bullets and Ballots, said 13 of those killed were members of the African National Congress (ANC), while eight were affiliated with the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), led by former president Jacob Zuma.
KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of attacks, while Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg, ranked second with 10 incidents.
The 43 deaths recorded in the first nine months of 2026 have already exceeded the total number of political killings recorded by GI-TOC in any full year since it began monitoring such incidents in 2015.
GI-TOC warned that the period leading up to the November elections could see further violence as competition for political influence intensifies.
The elections will be significant for the ANC, which has governed South Africa since the end of apartheid but lost its parliamentary majority in the 2024 national election. The November vote will also provide an indication of political support at the local level ahead of the next national elections in 2029.
