ANC Councillor, Lazola Gungxe, Shot Dead In Office As Cape Town Political Violence Fears Grow

An African National Congress (ANC) councillor, Lazola Gungxe, serving in the City of Cape Town has been shot and killed in his office in New Crossroads, heightening concerns over the safety of elected officials in the Western Cape.

Lazola Gungxe was an ANC proportional-representation councillor in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality. Details surrounding the shooting are still emerging, with police yet to release full information on the incident.

Who Was Lazola Gungxe? ANC Councillor’s Role in Cape Town

Gungxe was first sworn in as a City of Cape Town councillor on 10 August 2016 and served as part of the ANC caucus in council.

He occupied his seat through the party’s proportional-representation list rather than through a direct ward election. Gungxe was deployed to Subcouncil 13, which covers eight wards and includes Philippi, Crossroads, Nyanga and Gugulethu, as well as nearby communities.

During his time on council, he was involved in local governance matters, ANC activities and public discussions on municipal issues affecting residents.

‘Brutal and Senseless’: Political Condemnation After Killing

Condolences have poured in following Gungxe’s death. In a statement released on Tuesday, GOOD City of Cape Town councillor Jonathan Cupido said the party was mourning the loss of the slain councillor.

The GOOD Party extended its “deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of ANC Councillor Lazola Gungxe, who was tragically killed in New Crossroads,” Cupido said.

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He added that Gungxe was reportedly attacked by unknown suspects while inside his office, describing the incident as “a brutal and senseless act that has shaken the community he served and local government”.

Calls for Urgent Investigation and Action on Illegal Firearms

While the full circumstances of the killing remain unclear, Cupido warned that attacks on councillors undermine local democracy and public service.

“Councillors serve communities on the front lines, working daily in difficult and often dangerous environments to resolve disputes, assist residents, and strengthen local democracy,” Cupido said.
“When a councillor is murdered while performing this role, it is not only a personal tragedy, but an attack on public service and community stability.”

The GOOD Party called for an urgent and thorough investigation and renewed warnings about the spread of illegal firearms in Cape Town, saying the presence of unlicensed weapons had reached “crisis levels”. Cupido urged authorities to act decisively to remove illegal guns from communities and to prioritise the safety of residents and public representatives.

Gungxe’s death adds to mounting anxiety over the safety of elected leaders in the province. His killing follows a series of deadly attacks on councillors and senior local figures in recent months. In May last year, Stellenbosch councillor and mayoral committee member Xolile Kalipa was shot dead in Kayamandi. Weeks later, former Stellenbosch deputy mayor Nyaniso Jindela was fatally shot near a church, intensifying fears of targeted violence linked to local government leadership.

Media enquiries to the City of Cape Town were referred to the South African Police Service (SAPS), which had not responded to questions at the time of publication.