Former Knysna mayor Aubrey Tsengwa shot dead

Knysna ward councillor and former mayor Aubrey Tsengwa was murdered on Wednesday night in a politically motivated shooting. Tsengwa served as Knysna's executive mayor from August 2022 to February 2025, representing ward 8 which includes Concordia and Joodsekamp. The 48-year-old was found with multiple gunshot wounds to his head and upper body after being approached by an unknown gunman in his vehicle on Ngxalo Street in Joodsekamp.

A passenger sustained a gunshot wound to the arm and was taken to the hospital for treatment. Police have not made any arrests yet and the motive remains unclear. The ANC's Western Cape parliamentary leader, Muhammad Khalid Sayed, described Tsengwa's death as a significant loss to his community. The Democratic Alliance's Knysna mayoral candidate, Levael Davis, called for the police to apprehend the perpetrators and hold them accountable.

Tsengwa's death comes amid a series of politically linked killings in Cape Town, where DA ward by-election candidate Sinovuyo Dyokwe and BOSA's Gugulethu candidate Leon Ngcikwe were also murdered during voter registration campaigns. Political analyst Sandile Swana has warned that the upcoming 2026 local government elections could see the deadliest political violence yet, as the violence increasingly cuts across party lines.