The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party is mourning the death of its KwaZulu-Natal regional organiser, Lastborn Shazi, who was shot and killed at his homestead in Umzumbe on Monday night, 2 November 2026.
Shazi’s killing comes at a particularly sensitive time, just days before South Africa’s 2026 Local Government Elections, raising renewed concerns about political violence and the safety of political organisers in KwaZulu-Natal.
According to reports, Shazi was attending a virtual meeting with the party’s regional elections team when the incident occurred. The meeting was focused on preparations for the upcoming elections. His colleagues reportedly noticed that he had suddenly stopped participating before receiving a telephone call informing them that there had been a shooting at his home.
The party received information about the incident shortly after 9pm. A team was subsequently sent to the homestead, where they discovered that Shazi had been killed. The circumstances surrounding the shooting, including the identity of the perpetrators and their possible motive, remain unclear.
MK Party provincial spokesperson Mkhuseli Mlangana confirmed the killing and said the organisation had no confirmed leads regarding the circumstances of the attack. He urged party members and supporters to avoid speculation and allow police to investigate the matter.
The party has called on the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team to urgently investigate the murder and ensure that those responsible are identified and brought to justice.
In its response, the MK Party described Shazi’s death as a devastating loss to his family, friends, the organisation and the communities he served. The party also appealed for calm, warning members against spreading unverified information that could interfere with investigations or increase tensions.
The killing has once again drawn attention to KwaZulu-Natal’s long-standing problem of political violence, particularly the targeting of political figures and organisers. However, the party has cautioned against assuming that Shazi’s murder was politically motivated before investigators establish the facts.
His death comes as special voting takes place ahead of the local government elections scheduled for Wednesday, 4 November 2026. With election preparations underway across the country, the incident has highlighted concerns about the security of political representatives and campaign workers.
The MK Party has indicated that funeral and memorial arrangements will be communicated after consultations with Shazi’s family.
Police investigations are expected to establish what happened at the Umzumbe homestead and whether anyone will be arrested in connection with the killing.
Main image: EWN
