The Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans' Association is tasking its operatives with gathering information that would prevent more murders of ANC councillor candidates in election violence in KwaZulu-Natal. As the death toll mounts, MKMVA's provincial chairman Themba Mavundla told a media briefing yesterday his association viewed the killings as an attempt to "drag us back to the violent past we had all hoped we had turned our backs on".He said although the police and national intelligence services were tasked with investigating the politically motivated deaths, MKMVA members and structures - which were part of community-policing forums - would also be gathering intelligence about the killings.At least 12 ANC councillor candidates have been killed in the run-up to next week's elections.About 20 people, several from other political parties, have been killed as recently as this past weekend."To deal with this bloody onslaught we have placed our structures on the ground on alert to prepare themselves to defendANC councillor candidates," Mavundla said."Those of us who have an intelligence background have been activated to be on the alert and to provide early warning of impending attacks so we can share this [information] with the police and the targeted candidates.""We find these killings barbaric, not only because they seek to take us back to a dark era, but because they also target women who are callously mowed down in front of their children."Mavundla was quick to point out that whatever action the veterans took, it would be within the law and in co-operation with lawenforcement agencies...