Two African National Congress members have been killed and three others wounded in Umgababa, south of Durban. It happened on Thursday, 15 October 2026, while the group was out knocking on doors. Police are still at the scene, and nobody has been arrested.
With the local government elections getting closer, this attack has people talking about political violence all over again.
What happened in Umgababa
It was around 2 pm when residents heard gunshots. Not one or two, but repeated gunfire. Some of them told reporters they were badly shaken by it.
According to those residents, the group was ambushed by unknown gunmen while moving through the area on a door to door campaign. Two members died. The other three were shot too and rushed to hospital for urgent medical care.
We don’t yet know how the wounded are doing. The names of the victims haven’t been made public either.
Officers are now going through the scene and collecting evidence. That’s the normal first step in a shooting. Investigators usually look at things like cartridge casings and vehicles, and they try to find out whether any cameras nearby caught something. Then comes the talking to witnesses.
Key facts at a glance
| Detail | What is known |
|---|---|
| Date | Thursday, 15 October 2026 |
| Place | Umgababa, south of Durban |
| Time | Around 2 pm |
| Killed | Two ANC members |
| Injured | Three, taken to hospital |
| Activity | Door to door campaigning |
| Suspects | Unknown, no arrests yet |
| Motive | Not known |
What the ANC has said
Thanduxolo Sabelo, the party’s coordinator in eThekwini, said nobody knows the motive yet. Still, he found it very worrying that members were shot while doing party work.
He pointed out that South Africa is a free country. Any party, he said, should be able to campaign anywhere without being met by guns. The party is extremely disappointed, and he asked everyone to be tolerant of other political parties. He also asked the police to leave no stone unturned.
Why campaigning on foot matters
Going from house to house is about as simple as politics gets. You knock, you greet people, you say who you are and you listen. It’s easy to organise, it costs very little, and it puts a face to the party.
That’s why nearly every party does it before an election. Volunteers walk the streets with pamphlets and hear what people are worried about, whether that’s water, electricity, jobs or safety.
But it only works when people feel safe. If campaigners can be shot in broad daylight, residents may start staying away from anything political. And that hurts democracy no matter which party you support.
A worry that keeps returning
South Africa has seen political tension around elections before, especially at local level. Councils decide on budgets, tenders and services, so the stakes can feel high for people on the ground.
Having said that, we should be careful. Police haven’t said who did this or why. Guessing now, or pointing fingers at a rival group, doesn’t help anyone. Rumours spread fast and they can make a tense situation worse.
What we do know is that the victims were doing lawful political work. In South Africa, that is a basic democratic right.
The role of the police
The South African Police Service (SAPS) now has to find the shooters. Cases like this often depend on community information. Someone in Umgababa may have noticed a car or a group of people who didn’t belong there before the shooting. Even a small detail can matter.
If you know something, you can call Crime Stop on 08600 10111. You can stay anonymous. For official updates, the SAPS website is the place to check.
Don’t expect a quick answer, though. These investigations take time, because police have to piece together the scene, the witness accounts and any physical evidence. The ANC and the public will be watching to see if arrests come soon.
Rules that protect campaigners
Parties and candidates in South Africa are expected to follow the Electoral Code of Conduct. In plain terms, it says parties must respect each other’s right to campaign, and that violence and intimidation have no place in an election.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) explains the code and the voting process on its website. If you’re a voter, a volunteer or a party member, the IEC website is worth a look.
The idea behind it is simple. People should be free to hear from every party and then make up their own minds. Nobody should be afraid for their life because of the party they campaign for.
What residents and parties can do
There are a few easy things that can help keep tempers down. Try not to share claims on social media unless you know they’re true. If you saw or heard something useful, tell the police. And show respect to people from other parties who are campaigning lawfully, even if you disagree with them. The investigation itself should be left to the police and the courts.
Party leaders have a bigger job. What they say at rallies and online can calm a situation or fuel it. A call for peace sounds a lot stronger when every party makes it together.
What happens next
The next few days will show how fast police can move. Plenty of questions are still open. Who carried out the attack? Why were these campaigners targeted? Was politics behind it, or something else?
Until there are answers, the facts stay limited. Two people are dead and three are in hospital. A community that woke up to an ordinary Thursday is now dealing with fear and grief.
For the families of the two who died, nothing about this will be easy. For the rest of the country, it’s a hard reminder that free and safe campaigning has to be protected, especially as election day draws closer.
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