Hitman Arrested in Murder of Former Knysna Mayor Aubrey Tsengwa

The Political Killings Task Team has arrested a 44-year-old suspected hitman in connection with the murder of former Knysna Executive Mayor Aubrey Tsengwa. The arrest was made during a takedown operation in Peddie, Eastern Cape, on Friday, November 6. According to South African Police Service spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, the suspect was apprehended following an investigation led by the task team and SAPS.

Aubrey Tsengwa was murdered on August 19, 2026, while seated in his vehicle in Knysna, alongside three other occupants who survived the shooting. The suspect is facing one charge of murder and three counts of attempted murder. He is expected to appear before the Knysna Magistrate’s Court on Monday, November 9. The motive behind the murder is not yet disclosed, but the arrest brings some solace to the community and Tsengwa's family.

Tsengwa became mayor in August 2022 when the ANC, Patriotic Alliance, Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners, and EFF voted out Davis, of the DA. He won the vote 11 to 10. During his tenure, Tsengwa faced several motions of no confidence. The EFF and the Knysna Independent Movement, both partners in his coalition, removed him in February 2025.

After his removal, Tsengwa resigned his Ward 8 seat on March 31, 2025, before Western Cape local government MEC Anton Bredell could act on a special investigation into councillors who had made political appointments that the Western Cape High Court found to be illegal. The ANC suspended him in April 2025, citing that his resignation had undermined the party and forced an unnecessary by-election.

Despite his suspension, the ANC nominated him for the Ward 8 by-election on June 25, 2025, which he won with 52.12% of the vote, down from the 72% the ANC polled in the ward in 2021. Tsengwa had also been receiving death threats, with Knysna’s then acting municipal manager, Phaahle Simon Malepeng, alleging in early 2025 that Tsengwa had been threatened with death.

The threats against Tsengwa and other ANC members were not limited to him. In July 2018, Victor Molosi, the previous ANC councillor for ward 8, chief whip, and mayoral candidate, was shot in the head metres from his home. The ANC’s Knysna region is named after him. The police identified a suspect in an intimidation docket related to the threats against Tsengwa.

The arrest of the suspected hitman brings closure to the case, and the community can now begin to heal. The suspect's appearance in court will provide more insight into the circumstances surrounding Tsengwa's murder.

Key points

• The 44-year-old suspected hitman was arrested in Peddie, Eastern Cape, on November 6.
• Aubrey Tsengwa was murdered on August 19, 2026, in Knysna.
• The suspect is facing one charge of murder and three counts of attempted murder.