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ANC ward councillor Sicelo Mleve was gunned down at his office in Zwide, Gqeberha on Saturday evening. According to police spokesperson Captain Majola Nkohli, Mleve was attending a meeting with about 10 people shortly before 19:00 when two armed suspects entered the premises. Opened fire The suspects allegedly held those present at gunpoint and confiscated their cellphones before one of the attackers opened fire on Mleve, striking him multiple times. He died at the scene.
Mleve served as the councillor for Ward 27 in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, representing communities in parts of Zwide and Soweto-on-Sea. Returning from voter registration In a separate incident in Cape Town, DA ward by-election candidate and community activist Sinovuyo Dyokwe was shot and killed while returning home from a voter registration event in Dunoon on Saturday. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation.
Reacting to the tragedy, DA constituency head Nicholas Gotsell described Dyokwe as a dedicated party member and community leader. “The DA is shocked and saddened by the senseless killing of our Dunoon activist, branch chairperson and recent by-election candidate Sinovuyo Dyokwe. Sinovuyo was a bubbly, very energetic person who lived for the DA and its values. She will be sincerely and sorely missed,” Gotsell said. The DA mourns the loss of Sinovuyo Dyokwe.
One of our own, she was a dedicated activist and DA candidate in Dunoon who worked tirelessly to serve her community. She will be deeply missed.
The killings occurred during a voter registration weekend ahead of upcoming municipal by-elections and have raised fresh concerns about the safety of political representatives and activists. Police investigations into both murders are continuing, and authorities have appealed to anyone with information to come forward.
The killings have raised fresh concerns about the safety of political representatives and activists in South Africa ahead of the upcoming municipal by-elections. In 2024, a DA councillor was attacked in the Eastern Cape, and in 2022, an ANC politician was injured in a shootout in KwaZulu-Natal. Both incidents sparked fears of a growing threat to politicians and their families.
In 2020, the South African government launched a programme to provide security assistance to councillors and politicians at risk due to their work. However, the programme has faced criticism for its slow implementation and inadequate resources.
Police spokesperson Captain Majola Nkohli stated that the police are doing everything possible to apprehend the suspects involved in the murder of Counsellor Mleve. ‘We urge anyone with information to come forward to assist us in apprehending those responsible.’