LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026: UDM councillor ‘was warned’ via SMS before he was killed
The killing of Nelson Mandela Bay councillor Luxolo Namette has renewed concerns about political violence, following the murder of three other councillors since 2022. Namette was shot in the head in Motherwell, Eastern Cape, on Saturday, 7 November.
Nelson Mandela Bay councillor Luxolo Namette was shot and killed in Motherwell, Eastern Cape on November 7, 2026. Two weeks prior to announcing his UDM mayoral candidate, Namette received a warning via SMS allegedly from an unidentified source. The message threatened that two UDM members would eliminate him if he remained the only proportional representation (PR) candidate on the party’s list.
Namette, who did not take the threat seriously at the time, reportedly received a phone call just three days after the election when he went for a haircut. He stepped outside and was fatally shot. UDM deputy president Nqabayomzi Kwankwa announced that the Political Killings Task Team was investigating Namette's murder. This marks the fourth assassination of a Nelson Mandela Bay council member since 2022, raising concerns about political violence following the UDM's strong showing in the local government elections.
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