Two members of South Africa’s largest political party were fatally shot while campaigning on Thursday, in the second fatal attack on party members this week as tensions rise ahead of pivotal local elections.
The killings on Thursday came just two days after four other members of the party, the African National Congress, were killed as they were leaving a memorial service. A suspect in that shooting surrendered to the police, who have not described a potential motive in either attack.
The victims have not been identified, but the A.N.C. said they were not candidates and described them as volunteers.
Thursday’s shooting also came the same day that South Africa’s highest court ruled in the A.N.C’s favor to allow more than 100 of the party’s candidates on the ballot, overturning a decision by the country’s election authority that they were ineligible to run because their names were not submitted on time.
The reinstatement of the candidates, many from the party’s strongholds, potentially saved the A.N.C from further electoral decline. The party, which rose to international acclaim as a liberation movement under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, lost its political monopoly on South Africa in 2024 for the first time in decades.
Voters who have turned away from the A.N.C., which has governed South Arica since apartheid ended in 1994, have cited a range of reasons: systemic corruption, the decay and collapse of infrastructure and persistent violence, among them. The coming elections, set for Nov. 4, will be the first since the A.N.C. lost its outright majority two years ago, and will decide councilors in hundreds of municipalities around South Africa.
The election authority had disqualified the contested candidates because the party had failed to click a “Submit as Final” button in the nomination system before the Aug. 28 deadline.
After the court ruling this week, the party’s secretary general, Fikile Mbalula, said the matter had given him sleepless nights and had taken a toll on him.
South Africa’s second largest party, the D.A., is in a governing coalition with the A.N.C. but opposed its bid to reinstate the candidates.
Outside court, a tearful Mr. Mbalula questioned the D.A’s opposition to the A.N.C’s case, saying its relationship must be reviewed and pointing out that there were other parties in Parliament that the A.N.C could work with.
The D.A. said it respected the court’s decision, but raised concerns about what the ruling could mean for compliance with the election authority’s deadlines and requirements.
The ruling comes as the election authority races to complete ballot production.
Before the judgment, its deputy chief electoral officer, Masego Sheburi, said 66 percent of the 79 million ballot papers required for the elections had already been printed, with production expected to be completed by Oct. 18.
Mr. Sheburi said ballots already printed for areas affected by the A.N.C. dispute would have to be reprinted to include the party’s candidates, resulting in additional costs.
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