At least 148 local government officials have been murdered in South Africa since 2018 — and the attacks have ramped up in the past four years.
The deaths — predominantly linked to corruption, with those targeted often whistleblowers — need “urgent attention”, warns the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu). It says corruption and violence in municipalities are closely connected to the collapse of service delivery.
“The murders of our municipal employees send a message to the corrupt that they will be allowed to thrive, and a message to the good that if they speak out they will fear for their lives,” Samwu spokesperson Papikie Mohale said.
While national government officials have also come under attack, research by global crisis mapping initiative Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (Acled) shows that municipal officials in South Africa are most at risk.
The government does not keep statistics on the murder of government officials, or arrests and convictions in these cases.
Susanna Deetlefs, Acled’s regional desk manager for Southern and North Africa, said: “A lot of people will say the killing of local officials goes hand in hand with elections, but this is not true.
“If you look at the data, you do not see an increase in incidents during election time or in the month before or after elections. The increase is constant, no matter what big events are taking place in South Africa. Our local officials are consistently being attacked.
“If you look at what we call the spike years, there are not elections in those years. August 2023, for instance, was an exceptionally deadly time for local officials. And if you look at September 2022, [it was] also a very deadly year for local officials. The Zondo [state capture] commission concluded at that time. This could be a link. Then look at all the procurement fraud in Covid. A lot of that also came out in 2022.”
Acled defines local officials as employees in subnational governments. They are typically public service staff, elected or appointed officials or representatives from regions, provinces or cities, such as mayors, councillors and regional government members.
“There is money in municipalities. If you look at the contracts and tenders that people get with municipalities, this kind of money can be a very strong motivator. You have some employees who want to fight corruption and others who benefit from it financially. This creates conflicts between them and inevitably ends in murder,” she said.
Deetlefs said in most cases local officials live in the community and are accessible, which could also be a reason they are the most targeted.
“Local government does not have the money to provide 24-hour security to their officials. People in parliament have more protection than those working for the state at grassroots level.
These corrupt extraction networks are often set up by senior officials. More junior employees will see what is happening but out of fear for their lives and of victimisation they will carry out illegal instructions. The other corrupt employees will defend their chain of corruption, often through murder
— Alex van den Heever, local governance expert
“If you look at a recent incident, ANC councillor Thabang Masemola was murdered on July 8 in Mamelodi. He was murdered at a shop in the neighbourhood where he lives. So the hitman or hitmen have easier and faster access to people working for the state on this level,” said Deetlefs.
National officials are safer. According to Acled’s figures, between July 2018 and June 2025, seven national officials were murdered — compared to 148 local officials.
Local governance expert Alex van den Heever said attacks on local officials “have a chilling effect”.
“Anyone who has an impact on accountability is at risk. Think about Ekurhuleni chief auditor Mpho Mafole’s assassination. An assassination like this silences the entire chain of people who know what is going on. They see the corruption and know who is involved, but out of fear they will not say anything.”
Mafole, the group divisional head for corporate and forensic audits for the City of Ekurhuleni, was killed when his vehicle came under fire on the R23 in Kempton Park on June 30. Sources in the municipality said his death was linked to his investigation of a R2bn electricity scandal he had uncovered.
A 40-year-old suspect, Thabang Ntshalintshali, was arrested this week in connection with the murder.
Van den Heever also believes jockeying for positions in municipalities is an issue.
“Sometimes it is a matter of some people trying to capture tender processes and appointments.
“These corrupt extraction networks are often set up by senior officials. More junior employees will see what is happening but out of fear for their lives and of victimisation they will carry out illegal instructions. The other corrupt employees will defend their chain of corruption, often through murder.”
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for co-operative governance & traditional affairs Thulasizwe Buthelezi expressed concern over the escalating number of attacks on and murders of municipal workers across the province.
His statement this week followed a series of incidents, including the murder on Tuesday of Khalesakhe Mchunu, a municipal worker from uMsinga local municipality.
The incident was one of several in the past 30 days. On June 27, 32-year-old local municipality official Nokulunga Mashabane was shot dead in her car in KwaDukuza.
Days later, on July 3, an official from the eThekwini metro was killed and others were injured when unknown gunmen opened fire on their vehicle.
“I am deeply concerned by these developments, which unfortunately suggest a worrying trend,” said Buthelezi.
“These attacks on public servants who are dedicated to serving our communities are unacceptable and undermine the very fabric of local governance.”
Samwu’s Mohale called for the protection of whistleblowers.
“Our municipal workers leave their homes to serve our communities, never to return to their loved ones,” he said.
“The government needs to focus on protecting whistleblowers, and municipalities must meet their employees and union representatives in the boardrooms and not on [the] battleground of protest.
“We need engagement platforms. Ways for our workforce and management to engage and come to peaceful and practical solutions to issues.”
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