Johannesburg – The murder of Zweli Mkhize, widely known as Khabazela, the treasurer of the eNkanini branch of Abahlali baseMjondolo, has invoked shock and anger from unions.
This brutal attack occurred on the evening of Thursday, 12 February, in the eNkanini settlement in Ellandale, Gauteng.
According to reports, Khabazela was visiting the home of a friend when he was hunted down and shot by two assailants who arrived in a Renault.
Commenting on the murder on Sunday, 15 February 2026, the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA) said it was “deeply shocked and angered”.
GIWUSA added: “He did not die alone, but his death is a devastating loss for the poor and the dispossessed of our country.
“Khabazela is the latest in a long line of Abahlali baseMjondolo leaders to be silenced by assassins’ bullets.
“This endless wave of killings targeting the movement’s leadership represents a war against the poor waged through the barrels of guns.”
Abahlali baseMjondolo, a prominent shack dwellers’ movement, has seen over 25 leaders and members assassinated since 2009, often linked to political conflicts.
Notable murder cases include Nkululeko Gwala (2013), Thuli Ndlovu (2014, convictions secured), Ayanda Ngila (March 2022), Nokuthula Mabaso (May 2022), and Lindokuhle Mnguni (August 2022).
Reacting to the latest murder, GIWUSA said it strongly condemns the assassination of Mkhize and stated that it holds the political establishment accountable.
“We state clearly and without equivocation: we hold the political establishment responsible for this death,” the union said.
“Whether they orchestrated it directly or not, they bear full responsibility for creating the conditions in which such assassinations have become commonplace.”
GIWUSA extended its “deepest condolences” to the family, friends, and comrades of Khabazela, as well as to the entire Abahlali baseMjondolo movement.
“We stand in full solidarity with you during this painful time.”
Meanwhile, the Workers and Socialist Party (WASP) said it was “filled with rage and sorrow” at yet another assassination of a leader of Abahlali baseMjondolo.
WASP said it sends its revolutionary condolences to the family, comrades, and the whole Abahlali baseMjondolo movement.
“We salute a leader who was described as honest, transparent, and deeply committed to democratic processes and his community,” WASP stated.
“The movement has lost a warrior.
“The poor have lost a defender.”
WASP said the capitalist state bears full responsibility for the murder of Mkhize.
“Let us be clear: the blame for this murder lies at the door of the capitalist state and the entire political establishment,” the union stated.
“Whether individual politicians or their parties gave the direct order or not, they are all responsible.
“They are responsible because they preside over and actively enforce the horrific conditions in informal settlements – conditions of deliberate neglect, criminal violence, and misery that criminalise the poor for seeking survival.”
WASP claimed that politicians were responsible for the murder because of their “constant red-baiting, evictions, and repression” of Abahlali baseMjondolo and other movements of the poor.
“They have painted these organisations as enemies,” the union said.
“This criminalisation creates the political cover for hitmen to operate.
“It signals to those who serve the interests of capital – especially in mining-affected communities where the fight for land threatens profits – that leaders like Khabazela are legitimate targets.
“The political establishment may not have held the guns, but they loaded them.
“They created the political climate where the murder of a shack-dweller leader is met with silence from the media, indifference from the politicians, and inaction from the police.”
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