Former Nelson Mandela Bay deputy mayor Luxolo Namete was shot dead in Motherwell, Gqeberha, on Saturday afternoon, just days after South Africa's local government elections.

Police confirmed that the body of a 45-year-old man was found in Umnulu Street, NU9, Motherwell, at about 3.50pm with a gunshot wound to the head. A murder case has been opened and is being investigated by police in Motherwell. Police said the suspects and the motive remain under investigation, and further details will be released as the inquiry progresses.

Namete was a councillor for the United Democratic Movement (UDM) and served as deputy mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay after being elected to the post on 7 June 2021. He later chaired the municipality's Municipal Public Accounts Committee, the oversight body that scrutinises council spending.

The UDM said the killing casts a dark shadow over the just-concluded election and raised concern that it may have been politically motivated. The party's secretary-general, Bulelani Bobotyane, said Namete began his political career in the UDM Youth Vanguard before becoming a public representative. The party said it would escalate the matter to the Political Killings Task Team and ask for specialised attention.

The shooting comes as counting in the 4 November municipal elections nears completion, with the Electoral Commission expected to announce final results on Sunday, 8 November. In Nelson Mandela Bay, the Democratic Alliance emerged as the largest party, while the UDM secured 2.41 percent of the vote and three council seats, according to the commission's results dashboard.

No arrests had been reported by Saturday evening, and police appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

[Source: theprofiler.co.za](https://theprofiler.co.za/former-nelson-mandela-bay-deputy-mayor-luxolo-namete-shot-dead) | [Source: africannewsagency.com](https://africannewsagency.com/udm-councillor-gunned-down-in-nelson-mandela-bay/)