Staff Reporter
Western Cape police have arrested a 37-year-old man accused of masterminding the murder of Democratic Alliance (DA) candidate and community activist Sinovuyo Dyokwe, who was shot dead after participating in a voter registration campaign in Dunoon last month.
The suspect was arrested in Parklands on Saturday during a joint intelligence-driven operation involving detectives from the provincial Serious Violent Crime Investigation unit and members of the South African Police Service Special Task Force.
Police said the man had been evading arrest.
“The diligent investigation by Western Cape Serious Violent Crime Investigation (SVCI) detectives into the murder of DA candidate councillor, Ms Sinovuyo Miranda Dyokwe, has culminated in the arrest of the alleged mastermind behind her killing,” Western Cape police said in a statement.
Detectives tracked the suspect after receiving information from members of the public about his whereabouts, police said. The ongoing investigation had positively linked him to Dyokwe’s murder.
Dyokwe, 48, was the DA’s candidate in Ward 104 and a community activist in Dunoon. She was shot at about 6pm in Mnandi Street on Saturday, 20 June, after spending the day helping residents register or re-register to vote ahead of the 2026 local elections.
Police initially said a gunman had approached her on foot, while later reports indicated she had been shot multiple times.
Police now allege that Dyokwe had been subjected to extortion and forced to pay protection money. After she refused to continue making the payments, threats were allegedly made against her.
The police investigation found that Dyokwe was followed while returning home from the voter registration activities before two armed suspects fatally shot her.
Dyokwe had reported alleged extortion threats to police months before her death.
According to reporting on a sworn affidavit she made in February, the threats dated back to 2024 and related to demands for protection payments connected to a temporary relocation project in Dunoon. She had reportedly left her home and gone into hiding because she feared she would be killed.
The DA offered a R50,000 reward for credible information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the killing. The party said at the time that it was too early to determine whether the murder was politically motivated or linked to Dyokwe’s opposition to extortion and other criminal activity in Dunoon.
During Saturday’s operation, police seized a vehicle allegedly used in the murder and seven cellular phones. The phones will be examined as part of the continuing investigation.
The suspect, who has not been named, is expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of murder and extortion.
“The investigation remains ongoing, and further arrests are expected as detectives continue to pursue all those involved in this matter,” police said.
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