The fatal shooting of KwaMashu activist and uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party member Siphiwe Thusini has sparked fresh concerns over the safety of political and community activists in KwaZulu-Natal, with the South African Police Service’s Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) now leading the investigation into his murder.
Thusini, who was widely known for his anti-illegal immigration campaigns in KwaMashu, was gunned down outside his home on Friday evening after returning from a political engagement. According to reports, armed suspects ambushed him as he arrived home and opened fire at close range, killing him next to his vehicle before fleeing the scene.
KwaZulu-Natal police have confirmed that a murder case has been opened and that the PKTT is investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing. Authorities say no arrests have been made and the motive for the attack is still being investigated.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza said police had registered a murder case following the fatal shooting of the 42-year-old man on Nkonjane Road in KwaMashu K Section. He confirmed that investigators are still working to establish the motive behind the killing and appealed for anyone with information to assist the investigation.
Sources close to the investigation have reportedly suggested that detectives are exploring whether criminal extortion syndicates linked to so-called “protection fee” rackets may have played a role in the murder. However, police have not officially confirmed any motive.
Thusini’s son, Ayanda, described the devastating moment he found his father lying beside his vehicle.
“When I got there and I called him, he wasn’t even responding. I called him more than ten times. He didn’t respond. He was just lying there. I was so hurt because that’s unlike him. Whenever I call him, he’s going to be there. That’s for sure. He never makes a mistake,” he told eNCA.
His brother, Thabani Thusini, revealed that Siphiwe had recently become increasingly concerned about his safety and had told relatives he believed he was being followed before his assassination.
Thusini had become one of the most recognisable faces of anti-illegal immigration activism in KwaMashu. Alongside fellow community members, he had participated in campaigns aimed at removing undocumented foreign nationals and foreign-owned businesses operating in parts of the township. His activism attracted both support and criticism, placing him at the centre of heated national debates over illegal immigration and community safety.
His death also forms part of a worrying pattern of attacks on activists involved in anti-illegal immigration campaigns. In May, North West activist Thato Molosankwe was shot dead at his home in Mahikeng. Two suspects were later arrested in connection with his murder. In July, Gauteng activist Andile Mvuyelwa Somgxada was shot outside his home in Greenfields and died in hospital several days later.
The MK Party has called on the Political Killings Task Team to move swiftly, saying the murder is part of an alarming trend involving its members. Party spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu said the organisation could not continue losing members while those responsible remained at large, adding that nine of its councillors, proportional representation councillors and mayoral candidates had already been killed.
As investigations continue, Thusini’s family says it wants justice, while police urge anyone with information that could lead to arrests to come forward.
