Lazola Gungxe, ANC councillor, murdered in Crossroads

An African National Congress councillor serving in the City of Cape Town has been shot dead in his office in Crossroads, intensifying concerns about the safety of public representatives in the Western Cape.

Lazola Gungxe was an ANC proportional-representation councillor in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality. He was first sworn in as a city councillor on 10 August, 2016 and served as part of the ANC’s caucus on council.

As a proportional representative, Gungxe held his seat through the party’s list rather than direct election in a geographical ward. He was assigned to Subcouncil 13, which consists of eight wards and includes areas such as Philippi, Crossroads, Nyanga and Gugulethu, along with surrounding neighbourhoods

During his tenure on council, Gungxe was involved in local governance and ANC activities and participated in public debates on municipal issues.

Meanwhile, condolences have begun to pour in following the killing. In a statement issued on Tuesday, GOOD City of Cape Town councillor Jonathan Cupido said the GOOD Party extended its “deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of ANC Councillor Lazola Gungxe, who was tragically killed in Crossroads”.

Cupido said Gungxe was reportedly attacked by unknown suspects while in his office, describing the incident as “a brutal and senseless act that has shaken the community he served and local government”. While the full circumstances of the killing are still emerging, he warned that attacks on councillors strike at the heart of local democracy.

“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 exhaustive investigation and renewed its warning about the impact of illegal firearms in Cape Town, saying the proliferation of unlicensed weapons had reached “crisis levels”. Cupido urged authorities to act decisively to remove illegal firearms from communities and to prioritise the safety of residents and public representatives.

Gungxe’s killing adds to growing concern about the safety of elected officials in the province, following a series of deadly attacks on councillors and senior local leaders in recent months. In May last year, Stellenbosch councillor and mayoral committee member Xolile Kalipa was shot dead in Kayamandi, an attack that drew widespread condemnation and calls for stronger protection for public representatives.

That killing was followed weeks later by the fatal shooting of former Stellenbosch deputy mayor Nyaniso Jindela near a church, deepening fears about targeted violence linked to local government leadership. Political parties and community leaders have repeatedly warned that such attacks undermine democracy and disrupt service delivery at grassroots level.

Media enquiries to the City of Cape Town were referred to the SAPS, which had not responded to questions by the time of publication.

This is a developing story.

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