The ANC on Friday called on the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to urgently strengthen and proactively activate its conflict-resolution mechanisms to curb what it says is a deeply disturbing wave of pre-election violence.

With the country’s local government elections fast approaching on November 4, political parties are demanding swift accountability and heightened security following a string of fatal attacks across the country.

ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu emphasised that established structures, particularly the Political Liaison Committees, must do more to identify emerging tensions, facilitate constructive dialogue, and prevent localised disputes from escalating into bloodshed.

The call follows a series of recent events that the ANC has unequivocally condemned - the targeted killing of four ANC Youth League members, in Katlehong, in Gauteng and the murder of two ANC members during a routine door-to-door election campaign in Umgababa, in KwaZulu-Natal.

"These incidents are deeply disturbing and represent a direct assault on the democratic values for which countless South Africans sacrificed their lives," Bhengu stated.

Bhengu revealed statistics tracking the lead-up to the elections, noting that 43 people have been killed in 45 suspected political attacks between January and September 2026.

She said victims span multiple political organisations, including party councillors, candidates, civic activists, and traditional leaders, and she added that the violence has strategically targeted critical stages of the democratic process, notably candidate selection and voter registration.

"Political violence, regardless of its perpetrators or victims, constitutes an unacceptable threat to our constitutional democracy and the fundamental right of every citizen to participate freely in political activities," Bhengu added, demanding that law enforcement track down the gunmen and those who finance and orchestrate the hits.

The escalating instability in Ekurhuleni has triggered fierce reactions from opposition parties, with demands that law enforcement must answer for what they say are intelligence failures.

The DA demanded that Acting Minister of Police Professor Firoz Cachalia and the South African Police Service leadership appear before Parliament to account for security failures in Ekurhuleni.

ActionSA’s Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Xolani Khumalo, noted that while the surrender of a suspect linked to the Katlehong killings is a positive step, the police must ensure the investigation is thorough.