In brief
Lastborn Shazi, coordinator for the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, was killed in his KwaZulu‑Natal home on Monday while on a Zoom call. Police have opened a murder probe amid a spate of political killings during the municipal election cycle. Heightened security measures include deploying 500 soldiers to 165 high‑risk polling stations ahead of Wednesday's vote.
Lastborn Shazi, an organiser for the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), was shot dead in his KwaZulu‑Natal home on Monday while on a Zoom call coordinating the party’s election campaign, just days before the local government elections.
Senior police spokesman Robert Netshiunda reported that a murder investigation had been opened after the incident, saying the authorities were looking into the motive behind Shazi’s killing.
P"a murder investigation had been opened after Lastborn Shazi was shot dead at his home while on a Zoom call coordinating the party’s election campaign," said Netshiunda.South African police have noted that 20 murders involving political representatives, party members and supporters were recorded during the municipal election period last weekend.
In response, President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered the deployment of more than 500 soldiers to KwaZulu‑Natal to support police, flagging 165 polling stations in the province as high‑risk.
The MKP is poised to be the largest party in the closely contested eThekwini metropolitan area, the economic hub of KwaZulu‑Natal, potentially displacing the governing African National Congress (ANC) there. Former President Jacob Zuma leads the MKP following a split with the ANC in 2023, a schism that also affected the ANC’s performance in the 2024 national election.
