Police Minister Cele Concerned That Most Victims Of Political Violence Are Women

Police Minister Bheki Cele is concerned that the victims of most political killings in the lead-up to the local government elections are women.

Eight people have been murdered since the start of the campaign period, mostly candidate councillors.

While political murders are not new in South Africa, they continue to reveal a more worrying face of the country’s political discourse. While this year’s pre-election period has been less violent, the murders of eight people cast yet another dark cloud over the form of political contestation in the country.

Minister Bheki Cele has also raised alarm about the number of women who have been killed.

“I don’t know why they are hating female politicians, because most of the people who were killed in the Western Cape were female politicians,” he said.

There have been six political murders in KwaZulu-Natal, one in Gauteng and one in the Western Cape.

Cele said they were looking into these.

“Most of the cases that I am talking about have been handed over those provinces, especially in KZN, to the political task team,” said Cele.

South Africans will go to the polls next week Monday to elect their local government representatives with the security cluster ministers vowing to ensure the elections are safe and secure.