South Africa's Political Killings Task Team: A Flawed Shield Against Assassination Politics
South Africa's Political Killings Task Team: A Flawed Shield Against Assassination Politics In the shadow of South Africa's vibrant democracy, a sinister phenomenon has taken root: the political assassination. Often linked to intra-party conflicts, tender corruption, and battles for control over municipal resources, these killings have claimed hundreds of lives since the early 2000s, primarily in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Mpumalanga. In response to this crisis, the South African Police Service (SAPS) established the National Priority Committee on Political Killings, commonly known as the Political Killings Task Team. Its success, however, is a subject of intense debate—a story of hard-won convictions overshadowed by systemic challenges, persistent violence, and a pervasive climate of impunity. Origins and Mandate: A Response to Crisis The task team was formally convened in 2018, following a wave of high-profile murders and the recommendations of the Moerane Comm...