"Operation Doom", a mystery plan to drive Inkatha's rivals out of the townships of Pietermaritzburg, may lie behind this week's dramatic increase in violence in the area, UDF and Cosatu officials believe. The violence spilled over into the city centre this week, giving non-township residents a taste of what has become a way of life in local black areas.
In January Cosatu and the UDF warned of fears that Inkatha was about to launch "Operation Doom" or "Operation Cleanup" against UDF and Cosatu members. At the time, officials said they believed it would be a major attempt to drive supporters of the two organisations out of Pietermaritzburg townships. Speaking at a news conference in Durban on January 16, they said they had been informed the expected attack was set for January 19, but on that date the threat did not materialise. This week officials of the two organisations said they believed this could be the belated start of "Operation Doom".
Maritzburg mayor Mark Cornell said this week the violence was no longer isolated incidents. "It is now a war," he said. "We have been hearing that this was coming. We heard there was going to be a 'Doomsday attack' on January 19, but it seems it was delayed and this could be the start." A mass Inkatha meeting at Kwa-Mkhulu on Sunday has been pin- pointed by UDF, Cosatu and other organisations in Pietermaritzburg as the start of the week's violence.
After the meeting large groups of people – many well armed – streamed into Ashdown, attacking residents and property. The next day, out of fear and to protect their belongings, Ashdown residents held a large-scale stay away. On Wednesday a bus-load of armed people – many of them youths and all allegedly Inkatha supporters – arrived in the city centre and began to move towards Cosatu's local headquarters. Witnesses said the men shouted they were looking for "comrades".
They attacked pedestrians and shoppers, and at least three people were left seriously injured before police moved in and arrested 46 people. "They just went on a rampage, attacking everyone in sight. It was so frightening. We ran in all directions. Some people got stabbed. They were carrying assegaais, knobkieries and bushknives and said they were looking for amagabane (comrades)," said one witness, an Edendale teacher. KwaZulu MP Velaphi Ndlovu said he wanted to know what proof them was that Inkatha members were responsible for the attack.
"It is not the first time that people have been bussed in to attack in any particular area. Why should people suddenly want my comment? Why didn't they ask for it when people were bussed to attack homes of the chiefs and many other people in Ngaphezulu in the Edendale valley or when Uwusa drivers were killed in East Street? "Why do they suddenly become interested when it takes place in town?" he said.
Before the crucial Sunday meeting, the Progressive Federal Party regional director, Radley Keys, had written to the police and the chief magistrate warning of the possible consequences of the rally. He said yesterday he had also been contacted by people expressing fear of an "Operation Cleanup", and that during the week before the Sunday meeting he had received many calls and visits from people afraid of the consequences of the rally.
His letter informed the authorities that he had received information about the meeting "through reports phoned to the office by employers and people living in Sweetwaters and from people coming in to the office who live in the area." He warned that Sweetwaters was a "flashpoint" with people from both sides being killed and a bus drivers strike which disrupted the transport system in the area. Keys further warned he had received reports that "councillors and members of Inkatha had reportedly been going round the area to get people to attend the meeting".
He reported similar counter threats levelled against members of the community who did attend the meeting by people who were allegedly members of the UDF. He wrote, "We present you with this information in the hope that any possible conflict that may arise can be diverted." Meanwhile, criticism of police for not acting against Inkatha supporters and "warlords" continued, particularly in Ashdown following the Sunday meeting and the subsequent violence in the area. Over 100 women gathered in the PFP offices on Monday to ask for help.
After a lengthy discussion of the situation they drew up and signed a petition to the Minister of Law and Order. "Either the SAP leave the area of Ashdown because they have shown the community that they act against the community in favour of Inkatha or they prove to the community from now on that they can act impartially in stopping violence and preventing crime," they said. "If neither of these work, the SADF is preferred to the SAP or KwaZulu Police to police Ashdown as their actions are impartial." they concluded. Police have repeatedly denied these claims, and stated that they have favoured neither side in the conflict.
This aricle originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
