‘Let the ballot, not the bullet, decide’: IFP pleads after councillor killings

The killing of two Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) councillor candidates in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) within seven days has raised fresh concerns over political violence ahead of the 2026 local government elections, with the party calling for a specialised investigation into whether the attacks were politically motivated.

IFP national spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa has called for the immediate deployment of the KZN Political Killings Task Team after the murders of Ward 8 uMshwathi Local Municipality candidate, Lucky Sokhela and Ward 17 uMlalazi Local Municipality candidate, Khethelo Mdluli.

READ: Hlabisa warns against political violence after IFP members attacked

A ‘direct threat’ to democracy

The party said the killings could not be treated as ordinary criminal incidents because the victims were candidates preparing to contest public office.

Sokhela was gunned down on Tuesday, September 1, after arriving at his home. According to the IFP, the attackers allegedly followed him in a Polo vehicle before carrying out the shooting.

His death came days after Mdluli, 40, was attacked at his home in oPhindweni, Gingindlovu.

The IFP said Mdluli was shot in front of his children last Thursday and succumbed to his injuries at Ngwelezane Hospital on Monday.

Hlengwa said the murders represented a direct threat to South Africa’s democratic process.

“The killing of political candidates cannot be treated as ordinary criminality,” the IFP said in a statement issued by Hlengwa.

“These attacks strike at the heart of our constitutional democracy and threaten the fundamental right of South Africans to participate freely and safely in political life.”

Political violence shadow returns

The murders have placed renewed focus on KwaZulu-Natal’s long-running struggle with politically linked violence, particularly at the local government level, where competition for wards and municipal influence can become highly contested.

The IFP has asked the PKTT to establish the circumstances surrounding the killings, identify those responsible and determine whether political motives played a role.

The call comes as political parties prepare for the 2026 local government elections, where ward-level contests are expected to intensify.

Unlike national elections, local government battles are fought over specific communities, councillors and municipal structures.

A ward councillor is often the most visible political representative in a community, acting as the link between residents and local government. Councillors also influence decisions around service delivery priorities, development projects and municipal leadership.

READ: PKTT scores another victory as gunman gets 13 years for attack on ANC councillor

This has made municipal politics one of the most contested arenas in South Africa.

For investigators, the central question will be whether Sokhela and Mdluli were targeted because of their political roles or whether other criminal motives were involved.

Authorities will need to examine whether there were prior threats, political disputes, candidate-selection battles or conflicts involving local interests.

The IFP has urged the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to treat the investigations as matters of the highest priority.

“There must be zero tolerance for political violence,” the party said.

Election security under spotlight

KwaZulu-Natal remains the province most associated with political violence in South Africa’s democratic history.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the province was the centre of violent conflict between the ANC and IFP during the transition from apartheid to democracy. Thousands of people died during clashes between rival political forces.

Although that period of mass political conflict ended, politically linked killings have continued to surface, particularly around local government structures.

The nature of the conflict has changed. Modern political violence is often linked not only to ideological differences but also to competition over municipal influence, political positions and access to local power.

The killings of councillor candidates therefore raise wider questions about whether election competition can take place without intimidation.

The IFP has warned that violence against candidates undermines the right of citizens to participate freely in democracy.

“Every candidate must be able to campaign without fear. Every voter must be able to cast their ballot without intimidation,” the party said.

The party’s intervention also carries political significance as KwaZulu-Natal enters another major electoral contest.

Following the 2024 national elections, the province became a key battleground after the decline of African National Congress (ANC) dominance and the emergence of new political alignments.

The IFP, which has strengthened its position in provincial politics, has a direct interest in ensuring that its candidates can campaign safely and that elections are not influenced by intimidation.

The coming weeks will test whether these murders represent isolated criminal attacks or whether they signal a broader threat to political competition ahead of the local government elections.

The IFP’s message was captured in its closing warning:

“Let the ballot, not the bullet, decide.”