RIP|| MK Party Organiser Lastborn Shazi Gunned Down Mid-Meeting In Umzumbe

Monday night turned fatal in Umzumbe, Ugu region, when unknown gunmen arrived at the homestead of uMkhonto weSizwe Party regional organiser Lastborn Shazi and knocked on his front door. He walked toward the entrance, opened it, and the assailants immediately discharged their weapons, killing him where he stood. The attack unfolded in KwaZulu-Natal’s tense pre-election atmosphere, just hours before millions of South Africans prepared to cast ballots in local government elections. His community woke Tuesday to devastating news.

At the precise moment the killers struck, Shazi was logged into a virtual gathering with the MK Party’s regional elections team, actively contributing to final campaign preparations. His colleagues on the call grew alarmed when he abruptly stopped engaging with the discussion. Within minutes, a separate phone call shattered any hope — a contact near the scene confirmed the fatal attack. MK Party KZN provincial spokesperson Mkhuseli Mlangana told journalists the loss struck the organisation at its most critical operational hour.

The party formally demanded that the South African Police Service Provincial Killings Task Team urgently assume control of the case. “We demand a thorough, impartial and expedited investigation to bring those responsible to justice,” the organisation stated in an official release. SAPS investigators had not confirmed whether a case number was yet registered by the time of publication, nor had officers named any suspects or established a clear motive.

Political violence has haunted KwaZulu-Natal for decades, with party organisers and community-level leaders frequently becoming targets during election cycles. Ugu district has witnessed multiple ward-level disputes in recent years, and tensions between rival structures have historically intensified in the weeks preceding polls. Shazi had reportedly devoted considerable energy to mobilising voter support across his assigned territory ahead of this particular election cycle.

Colleagues who remained on that virtual call described the eerie silence that descended after Shazi’s microphone went quiet — his profile picture still visible on their screens while his voice vanished permanently. One participant reportedly sat frozen, staring at his name on the participant list, unwilling to accept the confirmation that arrived moments later.

The MK Party urged its membership to exercise restraint and avoid unverified speculation capable of inflaming further unrest across the province. No arrests have followed. No weapons have surfaced. And the fundamental question haunting Umzumbe residents tonight remains brutally unanswered: who ordered this, and will they ever face accountability.