Western Cape DA ward councillor candidate Sinovuyo Dyokwe was gunned down on 20 June. (Photo: Facebook / @Geordin Hill Lewis) A 37-year-old suspect was arrested on Saturday during a joint operation by the Serious Violent Crime Investigation unit and the Special Task Force in connection with the murder of DA ward candidate Sinovuyo Dyokwe in Dunoon, Cape Town, on 20 June.
During the operation, police seized the vehicle allegedly used in the commission of the offence, along with seven cellphones.
The suspect was expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 27 July, on charges of murder and extortion.
Dyokwe (48) was shot dead after returning from a voter registration drive in Dunoon ahead of the November local government elections. She had just dropped off fellow DA volunteers when two armed men approached her vehicle and opened fire. She sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene.
Western Cape police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said detectives arrested the suspect after acting on information from members of the public. The police described the suspect as the “mastermind” behind the murder, suggesting he had not personally carried out the shooting — meaning that the two gunmen who killed Dyokwe remain at large.
/file/attachments/orphans/Sinovuyo_180079.jpg "Western Cape DA ward councillor Sinovuyo Dyokwe candidate was gunned down in the street in Dunoon. (Photo: Facebook / @Geordin Hill Lewis)<br>")
DA Cape Town Metro regional chairperson JP Smit said Dyokwe’s relatives welcomed the arrest.
“I’m on a WhatsApp group with the family, and the moment the news broke, we all shared it, and all celebrated the outcome,” Smit told Daily Maverick. He described Dyokwe’s killing as “a real dagger” for her family and the party.
Extortion theory
Before her death, Dyokwe reported receiving extortion threats. In an affidavit submitted in February, she alleged that seven men had demanded protection fees from her.
Some reports have alleged that Dyokwe was killed after she allegedly stopped paying extortion fees. However, Smit disputed that account, saying Dyokwe had consistently maintained to him that she had never paid any protection money.
Smit said there was regular engagement between the DA and the SA Police Service (SAPS) in the weeks following Dyokwe’s murder, during which the party shared several pieces of information that could assist investigators. He said these were theories and leads, rather than confirmed motives.
According to Smit, one line of inquiry related to Dyokwe’s former boyfriend, who was allegedly involved in extortion activities. Another stemmed from complaints DA members had lodged about alleged irregularities at a mental health and substance abuse facility. Smit said party members had received a threat directed at “DA people”. A third theory centred on the alleged extortion and protection racket.
/file/attachments/2995/GHL-etc-_359794.jpg "Cape Town Mayor and leader Geordin Hill-Lewis with Sinovuyo Dyokwe and Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube. (Photo: Geordin Hill-Lewis)")
Shortly after Dyokwe was killed, the DA announced a R50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
However, Smit said law enforcement officials had not contacted him about the reward, leading him to believe it did not contribute to the arrest.
He added that the City of Cape Town had assisted the SAPS during the early stages of the investigation by introducing witnesses and providing contact information before investigators took the case forward.
Killed during voter registration weekend
Dyokwe’s murder was one of three apparent politically motivated killings recorded during the first voter registration weekend ahead of the November local government elections.
ANC Ward 27 councillor Sicelo Mleve (45) was shot dead during a meeting with about 10 people at his office in Zwide, Gqeberha. Two armed men reportedly entered the premises, demanded cellphones from those present and then shot Mleve multiple times before fleeing.
Two men, aged 20 and 21, have been arrested and charged with Mvele’s murder, armed robbery, attempted murder and the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Their case was postponed to September after they abandoned their bail bids on 10 July.
Also on 20 June, Build One South Africa Ward 38 candidate and Gugulethu activist Leon Ngcikwe (37) was ambushed and fatally shot while returning home after a voter registration drive in Gugulethu.
No arrests have been announced in connection with Ngcikwe’s murder. DM