Suspect in murder of former Knysna mayor arrested in South Africa — Daily Maverick

Police in South Africa have arrested a 44-year-old man suspected of involvement in the murder of African National Congress councillor and former Knysna mayor Aubrey Tsengwa. The arrest was made on November 6 in Peddie, Eastern Cape province, during a targeted operation by the SAPS Political Killings Task Team, Daily Maverick reports.

Court proceedings

According to a police spokesperson, the detainee remains in custody and is due to appear before the Knysna Magistrate’s Court on November 9, 2026. Police said the man faces one charge of murder and three charges of attempted murder.

Tsengwa was shot in a vehicle on August 19. One of his three passengers was injured in the attack. Less than a day later, two more ANC members in Knysna were killed in a separate shooting: former Ward 7 councillor Mandla Matiwane and local taxi forum secretary Mandla Tiyololo.

At the end of August, four suspects were arrested in the Tsengwa murder case, according to SABC. Police reportedly investigated a possible link between the killings of Matiwane, Tiyololo and Tsengwa, but did not confirm such a link.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

ANC reaction and tender investigation

ANC Western Cape spokesperson Sifiso Mtsweni welcomed the latest arrest and called on law enforcement authorities to swiftly identify everyone involved in the killings. He said the party would monitor the progress of the case.

After Tsengwa’s death, Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety Anroux Marais said the attack had occurred during a sensitive political period ahead of local elections and called for political violence to be prevented.

Twelve days before Tsengwa’s murder, President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised a Special Investigating Unit probe into possible irregularities in a tender for security services in the Knysna municipality. The matter concerns a three-year T25 2023/24 contract worth 68 million rand for the physical security of municipal facilities.