“Political Violence Has No Place Here”: MK Party Demands Justice After Fatal Dube Hostel Shooting

A recruitment drive turns deadly and South Africa is once again reminded of the fragile line between politics and violence.

What was meant to be a routine Sunday recruitment drive for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party in Dube hostel, Soweto, ended in chaos, gunfire, and a heartbreaking loss. One MK member was killed, two others were injured, and now the party is demanding swift arrests and answers.

The shooting has stirred up painful memories of hostel-related political conflict in Gauteng, a tension South Africans know all too well from the turbulent 1990s. And as the country edges closer to another major election season, many worry these old shadows are returning.

Tensions rise before a single shot is fired

MK Gauteng spokesperson Abel Tau recounted the day’s events with visible frustration. According to him, hostility began almost immediately after the team arrived at the hostel.

An induna, allegedly an IFP supporter, reportedly ordered that the hostel’s electricity be cut a move Tau believes was meant to deliberately sabotage the MK’s PA system and halt their programme.

Locals in Soweto took to social media that evening, some saying electricity cuts at hostels are “not unusual,” while others expressed shock at how quickly the situation escalated. One user wrote, “Politics shouldn’t cost lives. Not again.”

When MK members returned with a portable generator, Tau says two attackers, a man and a woman, walked directly toward the gathering.

That was when everything unravelled.

A sudden burst of violence

According to the MK’s account:

• The male attacker opened fire, hitting two MK members.

• The female attacker allegedly used pepper spray to scatter the crowd.

• Panic erupted as party members scrambled to help the injured.

Two of the victims were rushed to Jabulani Hospital. A third, Tau confirmed with a trembling voice, did not survive.

And then came another shocking detail: the MK says police at the nearby Dube station refused to open a case when members tried to report the attack.

This allegation instantly ignited debate online. Some accused the police of bias or incompetence; others insisted the situation must be independently investigated, calling for calm over speculation.

Police respond, but a second shooting emerges

Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi later confirmed they are investigating a case of attempted murder, based on a complainant’s report that gunshots were heard during the event and one man fell to the ground.

But there was more: Tau says he later learned of a separate shooting that same day, an induna and hostel resident was reportedly attacked and wounded when he returned to his home.

At this point, the story no longer looked like a single altercation but the spark of something broader and more unsettling.

Experts warn: this may not be random

Political analyst Rene Oosthuizen didn’t mince her words:

“These actions threaten to derail the upcoming elections by spreading fear and instability.”

Her warning echoes what many South Africans have whispered privately for months, that political competition is becoming increasingly aggressive, and old rivalries between parties associated with specific communities or hostels could be resurfacing.

Dr. Benjamin Rapanyane, political science lecturer at North-West University, takes the concern further:

“Political intolerance is incompatible with South Africa’s democratic principles and could compromise the democracy’s stability, ushering in a new period of political violence.”

South Africa’s young democracy has always carried scars from its violent political past. Incidents like this remind the nation how quickly those wounds can reopen.

MK Party demands action and accountability

Tau says the MK will not let the matter fade into the usual cycle of outrage and silence.

They are calling for:

• Immediate arrests of the alleged attackers

• A full investigation into police conduct at the Dube station

• A broader inquiry into recurring politically motivated violence at hostels

For residents of Soweto, the event raises deeper questions:
Are political parties safe to campaign freely? Are the police neutral? Are hostels becoming political flashpoints again?

As the country prepares for its next national election, these questions matter more than ever.

{Source: The Citizen}

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