Cape Town – Western Cape police spokesperson Captain Frederick van Wyk said Nyanga SAPS members responded to a shooting at the Old Crossroads Community Hall in Gwayi Street around 3pm.
“Upon the members’ arrival, the body of the 48‑year‑old deceased was found lying near the entrance of the hall,” van Wyk said, describing how two unidentified males had entered the venue after the meeting and shot Gungxe before fleeing in a white Toyota Avanza without registration plates.
“Nothing was taken from the deceased,” he added, noting that the motive remains unclear and police have opened a murder case.
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Brian Bunting District expressed shock at the loss. District secretary Monde Nqulwana described Gungxe as a dedicated activist, saying, “Comrade Lazola Gungxe was not merely a councillor by title; he was a grassroots community activist… His life embodied the tradition of people’s leadership forged in struggle,” according to IOL.
Gungxe had been speaking with community members after the meeting when the gunmen struck. As a proportional-representation councillor for the City of Cape Town, he served in Subcouncil 13, covering Philippi, Crossroads, Nyanga, and Gugulethu.
ANC regional spokesperson Akhona Jonginamba voiced the party’s devastation, adding that their “primary focus is on providing support to the bereaved family, colleagues, and the community.” He continued, “The ANC sends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and comrades of the fallen Councillor,” urging calm and trust in the legal process, as reported by IOL.
Political rivals shared the grief. Jonathan Cupido, a GOOD Party councillor, extended condolences and stressed the risks to local leaders.
“Councillors serve communities on the front lines, working daily in difficult and often dangerous environments… When a councillor is murdered while performing this role, it is not only a personal tragedy, but an attack on public service and community stability,” Cupido said, calling for urgent police action.
We mourn the tragic loss of ANC Councillor Lazola Gungxe, killed in Crossroads. This senseless act is an attack on public service and community stability.
We call on SAPS to urgently bring the perpetrators to justice and act decisively against illegal firearms threatening our… pic.twitter.com/r0egx01ycn
— GOOD (@ForGoodZA) February 3, 2026
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
