‘Political differences must never be settled through violence’: Another IFP councillor candidate dies in KZN
Two councillor candidates for the IFP have been killed in the last week.
Councillor Khethelo Mdluli, a candidate for King Cetshwayo District, passed away in a hospital on Monday after being shot outside his residence a week prior. This brings to light another tragic incident as party member Lucky Sokhela, a councillor candidate from uMshwathi Local Municipality, was also killed following a shooting outside his home on Tuesday.
IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa expressed his concern, stating that the murder of two political candidates within a week is an alarming occurrence that necessitates immediate action from law enforcement. This comes after IFP volunteers faced brutal assault while setting up campaign posters in KwaNyuswa, KwaZulu-Natal, according to IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa.
Hlengwa emphasized that political violence, intimidation, and assassination have no place in a constitutional democracy, and that political differences must never be settled through violence, threats, or murder. He called for the deployment of the KwaZulu-Natal Political Task Team to investigate the circumstances surrounding these killings, identify the perpetrators, and determine whether political motives played a role.
Hlengwa stressed that these attacks violate the fundamental right of South Africans to participate freely and safely in political life, and urged law-enforcement agencies to treat these cases with the utmost priority and ensure accountability. The IFP further called for a political culture where parties can compete based on ideas, policies, and programs without resorting to violence or personal hostility.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
