Trent Barr

Latin America Desk Chief

With years of specialized training, Trent brings deep expertise to his role as the Latin America Desk Chief for Atlas News, where he provides critical insights and analysis on regional developments.

Good morning, and welcome to The Situation Room. Today we’re getting into:

The increasing number of political killings in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, successful operations against Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN), and the US' decision to authorize the use of anti-personnel mines in Ukraine.

Lets get into it!

Four Arrested in Connection to Murder of Director of Police, Mexico

By: Bianca Bridger, Africa Desk Chief

The axe murder of a 63-year-old African National Congress (ANC) activist and her 2-year-old grandchild last week is the latest political killing to rock South Africa in recent months.

63-year-old Busisiwe MaSithole-Ntombela was attacked alongside her grandchildren, aged 14 and 2, late on Tuesday last week at her home in Nkobe village, Isandlwana, KZN.

What you Need to Know

Locking the three victims in their shack, the attackers then set it alight with an accelerant—likely paraffin. Attempting to escape the blaze, Busisiwe tried climbing through one of the shack's windows with her 2-year-old grandchild. The attackers then beat the grandmother with stones before killing her with an axe.

The toddler was stabbed and died en route to the hospital, while the eldest grandchild managed to escape through an alternate window.

Three suspects, aged 23, 37, and 40, were subsequently arrested and are due to appear in court on November 22nd.

Since 2018, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, viewed as the epicentre of political killings in the country, has been the scene of 155 political killings, including the murder of 52 councillors.

In December 2023, 46-year-old councillor Nhlalayenza Ndlovu, the Democratic Alliance's (DA) Chief Whip in the uMngeni local municipality, was shot and killed inside his home by unknown assailants.

On February 7th, 2024, Ndukenhle Duma—an Inkatha Freedom Party ward councillor for Nongoma Local Municipality in KZN—was shot and killed. During the attack on Duma, the perpetrators fired shots at a passing school transport vehicle, killing two children aged 11 and 12 years.

On April 2nd, 35-year-old Thabo Ngwenya, an ANC ward councillor for Mpumalanga's Nkomazi Local Municipality, was shot and killed by four armed assailants. The perpetrators made off with Ngwenya's Toyota GD6 ute as well as his mobile phone.

In early March, 48-year-old Vusimuzi Ntuli, a member of the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK), was shot dead by unknown assailants while outside a hostel in Umlazi, KZN. In mid-August, 54-year-old Poppy Morapedi, an ANC ward councillor in the Rustenburg Local Municipality, was shot dead by four unknown assailants while walking home.

On August 29th, in the Eastern Cape, ANC councillor Mpho Mahleza was shot dead outside of his home, while most recently, on October 3rd, in Mpumalanga province, an ANC member, Sizwe Nyambi, was shot and wounded just hours after discussing his municipality's water sabotage' online.

On the 13th of October, the family of ANC councillor Khulekani Maxwell Nzama was burned alive in their home by unknown assailants in KZN. The attack followed just one month after Nzama's father was shot 52 times by unknown assailants.

So, What Now?

With political killings once focused in KZN, the spread of violence signals a growing tension between the ANC and its rival uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK) party, led by former ANC member Jacob Zuma. This latest killing of an elderly political activist highlights the breadth of the issue in the country.

Since losing its majority in the country's May 29th election, the ANC's power base has continued to face challenges, with political killings now the biggest threat facing the party and its members.

In KZN specifically, and according to a News24 special report, "so frequent are the [political] killings that they are now colloquially referred to as "tournaments" in the northern part of the province where killings are rife. When the hit is out on you, it's called a 'tournament'. You will hear people say 'sebeyikhiphile i-tournament' [IsiZulu for 'the tournament is out/has been issued'], said one political insider with knowledge of the political killings."

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