Of the by-elections held since the local government elections, at least seven of the 16 ward councillor deaths appear to be murders. 11 of the by-elections followed resignations and party expulsions, and one by-election followed a\u00a0court order<\/a>\u00a0to set aside the election results for a ward in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Four of the seven murders were in KwaZulu-Natal: two eThekwini councillors, one in Nongoma and one Umvoti councillor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two were Nelson Mandela Bay councillors and one councillor was from the City of Johannesburg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two councillors died just before the local government elections were held and won their wards posthumously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The National Freedom Party\u2019s (NFP) Dumisani Qwabe<\/a> was killed a few days before the elections. Qwabe\u2019s name still appeared on the Nongoma ballot paper and he won the position as ward councillor posthumously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arrests<\/a> were made in December following Qwabe\u2019s death, and a by-election was held on 2 February 2022 where fellow NFP member Bongukwazi Mbatha won the ward councillor seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ANC\u2019s Siyabonga Mkhize was shot and killed in Cato Ridge while campaigning in late October in the lead-up to the elections. He won the ward council seat in eThekwini posthumously. In a by-election in February 2022, his fellow ANC member Muzumuni \u2018Mzi\u2019 Ngiba was elected ward councillor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ngiba<\/a> and three other people were arrested<\/a> in May in connection to Mkhize\u2019s death<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ironically, Ngiba survived an assassination attempt in March 2022<\/a> when he was shot at leaving a committee meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Five councillors won their ward council seat and served only a few months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 39-year-old ANC eThekwini councillor Minenhle Calvin Mkhize<\/a> was shot and killed in his car in front of his home on 22 January. The ANC\u2019s Jeffrey Mchunu won the by-election held in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nelson Mandela Bay ANC ward councillor Wellington\u00a0Zwelandile<\/a>\u00a0Booi was shot and killed while driving in Kwazakele in February. One of the passengers travelling in the car with Booi was wounded in the attack. Fellow ANC member Mzimkulu Ngabase won Booi\u2019s ward council seat in May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Umvoti ward councillor Thembinkosi Lombo was shot and killed in Durban in February<\/a> after he left a council meeting. On 1 June 2022, the municipal council seat was won by the ANC’s Sphiwe Sihle Ndlovu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 38-year-old Jo\u2019burg ANC ward councillor Ntaoleng Mpho Mofokeng<\/a> was shot and killed after two intruders entered his home in early March. In June, ANC\u2019s Ntshavheni Thovhedzo Mutavhatsindi won Mofokeng\u2019s ward council seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 45-year-old Nelson Mandela Bay ANC ward councillor Andile Andries<\/a> was shot and killed days before an ANC elective conference in May. His assistant \u2013 the acting ANC branch secretary \u2013 was also killed. In a by-election in July, the ANC\u2019s Mandlakazi Mabuda was elected ward councillor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information on the threats faced by ward councillors, mayors and their deputies, read: How many bodyguards does a mayor need?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Not all ward councillors died violently at the hands of others. One ward councillor died in a car crash, and seven ward councillors died with no mention of the cause of their death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ANC\u2019s Koyose Lenah Phetha \u2013 a ward councillor for Mafikeng \u2013\u00a0died<\/a>\u00a0in February following an\u00a0illness<\/a>, according to a spokesperson for the municipality. The EFF’s Dedrick Mbali Phetha won the by-election in May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of the 28 by-elections, political parties retained their seats in 20 of them. In eight by-elections, political parties lost seats. Three of the seats, however, were won by the same candidate but under a new party banner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The councillors were Christo Jacoby Boks<\/a> in the Western Cape\u2019s Matzikama, Paul Bodutu Mokgosinyane<\/a> in Mpumalange\u2019s Thaba Chweu local municipality, and Olebogeng Samuel Tumodi<\/a> in the Northern Cape\u2019s Phokwane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Boks left the Patriotic Alliance for the Democratic Alliance. And two former ANC members won seats for new political parties: Tumodi won the council seat for Economic Freedom Fighters and Mokgosinyane for the African Unified Movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"16](\"https:\/\/editor.mediahack.co.za\/theoutlier\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/07\/By-Elections-held_ao-600x600.png\")
Ward councillors who died in, or just before taking, office<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Did political parties manage to hold onto seats in the by-elections?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n