An ActionSA supporter identified as Victoria Ntombi Mkhize, the mother of the party’s Ward 11 candidate in Maphumulo, was found dead days before South Africa’s local government elections.
The 63-year-old woman was found dead in the Mnyameni area on Sunday.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza confirmed that Maphumulo police had opened a murder case following the discovery of the woman’s body.
“The victim was discovered lying on a pathway with visible injuries and bruises around her neck. The motive for the killing is currently unknown,” said Magwaza.
In a statement released on Monday, ActionSA KwaZulu-Natal said Mkhize was allegedly stabbed and strangled outside her home.
The party described her as an active supporter who regularly attended its meetings and called on police to urgently investigate the killing and bring those responsible to justice.
ActionSA KwaZulu-Natal provincial chairperson and eThekwini mayoral candidate Zwakele Mncwango said the party was deeply saddened and disturbed by the incident.
In a separate incident, the party said the home of its Ward 61 candidate in the Umbayi area of Tongaat, eThekwini, had been completely destroyed by fire.
Mncwango said the party’s provincial leadership would visit the affected family on Monday to assess the situation and offer support.
The party also raised concerns over allegations that Tongaat police had refused to open a case relating to the fire.
Mncwango said they would visit the police station to establish why the incident had reportedly not been registered.
While ActionSA said it could not speculate about the motives behind the two incidents, it expressed concern about their timing, coming days before the elections.
The party called on the police to investigate both incidents and ensure the safety of political candidates, activists and their families ahead of the elections on Wednesday.
