Former Knysna mayor Aubrey Tsengwa shot dead in Joodsekamp
Knysna ward councillor and former mayor Aubrey Tsengwa was shot dead on Wednesday night.
Former Knysna mayor Aubrey Tsengwa, a ward councillor and former executive mayor from 2022 to 2025, was shot dead on Wednesday night in Joodsekamp. Tsengwa, 48, represented ward 8, encompassing Concordia and Joodsekamp, and was removed from office in February 2025 by the EFF and the Knysna Independent Movement. Police were alerted to the incident around 9:20 pm at Ngxalo Street, where they discovered Tsengwa with multiple gunshot wounds to the head and upper body.
A gunman had approached his vehicle with three passengers and fired shots before fleeing on foot. One of the passengers suffered a gunshot wound to the arm and was taken to the hospital. No arrests had been made, and the motive remained unclear. Tsengwa's death was met with shock by Knysna mayor Thando Matika and ANC member Phumla Thole, who mourned his loss as a fellow cadre and revolutionary.
The DA's Levael Davis called for the police to apprehend Tsengwa's killers. Tsengwa faced numerous motions of no confidence during his tenure, ultimately resigning his Ward 8 seat in March 2025 before a special investigation into illegal political appointments could be addressed. The ANC subsequently suspended him in April 2025, nominating him for the Ward 8 by-election in June 2025, which he won. Tsengwa had previously received death threats and faced intimidation allegations during his tenure.
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