The African National Congress (ANC) has condemned the shooting of three of its councillors, including former ANC Youth League (ANCYL) secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa, in Umzimkhulu, south of KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday night.

Magaqa, Umzimkhulu’s Ward 11 councillor Nonsikelelo Mafa and Ward 16 councillor Jabu Mzizi were returning from an ANC regional meeting when they were shot. They are currently in hospital.

Umzimkhulu falls under the party’s Harry Gwala Region, which is going to its regional conference soon.

Three ANC councillors were shot dead between April and May this year in the same region.

ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa told News24 on Friday that "the act was barbaric".

"We condemn the act in [the] strongest possible way. Law enforcement agencies, especially the police must do everything to bring the perpetrators to book," he said.

He said they were worried about the continuous killing of political leaders in KZN.

"The killing of public representatives in the form of councillors undermines people’s confidence in a democratic system, where you elect leaders and they get assassinated. Something must be urgently done to bring an end to political killings," he said.

Asked whether the ANC has a plan to curb the continuous shootings of its councillors in the province, Kodwa said: "It’s not an ANC plan because it’s an act of criminality. Police and law enforcement agencies must act," he said.

ANCYL KZN secretary Thanduxolo Sabelo confirmed that the three are still in hospital and said they have no doubt that the shooting is politically motivated.

"We view these shootings and killings as senseless, brutal and barbaric. We call upon the government to deploy police in the region," he said.

On the recent killings in the same region, he said police must conduct a full investigation into the killings and apprehend perpetrators and "those who planned the killings".

Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi confirmed the shooting of the three councillors.

"We are still investigating. Information is still sketchy as we still have to take statements from the victims who are still in hospital," he said.