Senior KwaZulu-Natal ANC leaders visited areas in the Umtshezi Municipality on Saturday that have been marred by political violence, the party said.
"Our senior leaders, including the provincial chairperson, Senzo Mchunu and his deputy, Willies Mchunu held a series of meetings in the Umtshezi Municipality today as part of the ANC's attempts to end the killings there," ANC provincial spokesperson, Senzo Mkhize said.
Several African National Congress leaders including councillors had been killed in Umtshezi since early last year, he said.
Umtshezi councillor Jimmy Lembede was shot dead in August last year.
Since then, five other ANC leaders and supporters in the area had been killed and several others attacked.
"We strongly believe that it is crucial for us to ensure that there is peace in the area well before the general elections is held," Mkhize said.
"Our leaders today engaged the communities and we have no doubt that working together with the communities and the police, we will be able to end the killings."
The communities assured ANC leaders during the meetings they would help the police in exposing the perpetrators of violence.
"The communities have made it abundantly clear that they want the killings to end now. They want to leave in peace and be able to choose political parties of their choice without any fear," Mkhize said. -Sapa