KwaZulu-Natal ANC Regional Task Team member and former Richmond Municipality mayor Siminenkosi Samora Ndlovu has survived a shooting on the R56 near Thornville, outside Pietermaritzburg.
Ndlovu, 43, was travelling alone towards Pietermaritzburg in a white BMW on Tuesday night when another vehicle allegedly moved in front of him and blocked his path. An occupant of the vehicle then reportedly got out and opened fire on Ndlovu’s car.
Ndlovu was struck by multiple bullets during the attack. Despite sustaining several gunshot wounds, he survived and was taken to Richmond Clinic for initial medical treatment.
He was subsequently transferred to St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, where he remained under medical care. His condition had not been publicly confirmed at the time of reporting.
The shooting occurred on the R56 near Thornville, a route connecting Richmond and Pietermaritzburg.
The circumstances leading up to the attack remain unclear. It has also not been established who was responsible for the shooting, how many people were involved or what vehicle was allegedly used to intercept Ndlovu.
A possible motive for the attack had not been established at the time of reporting, and there was no confirmed indication that the shooting was politically motivated.
Ndlovu is a senior ANC figure in KwaZulu-Natal and previously served as the secretary of the party’s regional executive committee in the Moses Mabhida region. He also previously served as regional secretary and was the mayor of Richmond Municipality.
He currently serves on the ANC’s Regional Task Team in KwaZulu-Natal.
The shooting comes as political parties in the province intensify their activities ahead of the local government elections scheduled for 4 November 2026. However, there is currently no confirmed link between the election campaign and the attack on Ndlovu.
The incident has renewed attention on the security of political figures and public representatives in KwaZulu-Natal, a province that has experienced a number of politically linked killings and attacks over recent years.
Police had not publicly provided details of an investigation or confirmed whether any arrests had been made in connection with the shooting at the time of reporting.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack is ongoing.
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