Just one month after the father of African National Congress (ANC) councillor for Ezinqoleni Municipality, Khulekani Maxwell Nzama, was shot 52 times by an unknown gang, another attack on his family has occurred, resulting in the death of three family members, including a six-year-old child.

What You Need to Know

Late Sunday night, a group of unknown assailants locked six members of councillor Nzama's family in their KwaNyuswa home before setting it alight. Three relatives aged 30, 39, and 6 died, while three others managed to escape.

Colonel Robert Netshiunda, Police Spokesperson for KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, stated, "Ezinqoleni police have opened cases of murder and arson following an incident in which a house was allegedly set alight by unknown people on 14 October 2024 in KwaNyuswa location. Three family members aged 6, 30, and 39 died in the fire, while the other three managed to escape with injuries."

Neighbors of the Nzama family allege the family has been targeted in a revenge attack, particularly after the shooting of Khulekani's father last month. However, the motive for the attacks remains unknown.

One local, speaking to the local press, stated, "They clearly planned this attack because they made sure that they blocked the doors of the house... They wanted to make sure that no one would escape the fire."

"We were able to help the young kids escape, but they were badly burned," said one neighbor to Scrolla Africa journalists.

The Details

Political violence is a common occurrence in South Africa, with a political killing task force set up in the lead-up to the country's national election, which took place in May.

In mid-August, 54-year-old Poppy Morapedi, an ANC ward councillor in the Rustenburg Local Municipality, was shot dead by four unknown assailants while walking home.

Prior to this killing, on April 2nd, 35-year-old Thabo Ngwenya, an ANC ward councillor for Mpumalanga's Nkomazi Local Municipality, was shot and killed by four armed assailants. The perpetrators made off with Ngwenya's Toyota GD6 ute as well as his mobile phone.

In early March, 48-year-old Vusimuzi Ntuli, a member of the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK), was shot dead by unknown assailants while outside a hostel in Umlazi, KZN.

And prior to Ntuli's killing, on February 7th, Ndukenhle Duma—an Inkatha Freedom Party ward councillor for Nongoma Local Municipality in KZN—was shot and killed. During the attack on Duma, the perpetrators fired shots at a passing school transport vehicle, killing two children aged 11 and 12 years.

In December 2023, 46-year-old councillor Nhlalayenza Ndlovu, the Democratic Alliance's (DA) Chief Whip in the uMngeni local municipality, was shot and killed inside his home by unknown assailants.

In previous years, political killings were largely concentrated in South Africa's KZN province, with 155 political killings—including the murder of 52 councillors—investigated in KZN alone since 2018.

According to a News24 special report on political killings in the country, "So frequent are the [political] killings that they are now colloquially referred to as "tournaments" in the northern part of the province where killings are rife. When the hit is out on you, it's called a "tournament." You will hear people say 'sebeyikhiphile i-tournament' [IsiZulu for "the tournament is out/has been issued"], said one political insider with knowledge of the political killings."