The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party says its KwaZulu-Natal regional organiser, Lastborn Shazi, was shot dead at his home in Umzumbe, on the province's south coast, on Monday night. The killing comes two days before the 4 November local government elections.
What the party says
The party says it learned of the shooting at about 9pm. Shazi had been taking part in a virtual meeting of the party's regional elections team, which was preparing for election activities, when he stopped participating. Colleagues were then contacted and told of the shooting, and the party sent a team to the homestead.
MK Party KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Mkhuseli Mlangana said: "As of now, there are no details that we know as far as the circumstances around the killing of comrade Lastborn." He added that the party did not want to "fuel anything with speculation."
In a statement, the party said: "No individual should lose their life because of their political involvement or organisational responsibilities." It called on the Provincial Political Killings Task Team to investigate urgently, and urged members not to spread unverified claims.
What we do not yet know
- The motive. The party has not identified a suspect or established why Shazi was killed, and no link to his political work has been confirmed.
- Whether anyone has been arrested. None had been reported.
- Police's account. The South African Police Service had not responded to media enquiries when the reports were published, and no investigating unit or case details have been given.
Context
KwaZulu-Natal has a long history of political killings, and counts of election-period attacks differ depending on the source and the definition used. The police have recorded political murders and election-related cases in the run-up to the vote, as we have reported. Whether Shazi's killing is political has not been established.
