The KwaZulu/Natal government is under severe strain, with tensions between IFP and ANC leaders reflected on the ground in the rising death toll. Farouk Chothia reports
THE climbing death toll in kwaZulu/Natal comes against the backdrop of severe tensions in the provincial government between the Inkatha Freedom Party and ANC leaderships.
The Human Rights Committee (HRC) said this week that its preliminary figures showed 71 politically motivated deaths last month.
Among disturbing reports the HRC has noted in the past two months are:
* the murder of IFP-aligned leaders spearheading peace initiatives with the ANC;
* the first “direct evidence” that tension between King Goodwill Zwelithini and IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi has spilled into violence; and
* a shift in violence from urban areas to rural areas: about 60 percent of last month’s deaths were recorded in rural areas while November’s figure was higher at 80-odd percent.
The ANC confirmed this week that it had filed an application in the Pietermaritzburg Supreme Court late last month in a bid to halt the formation of the House of Traditional Leaders on the grounds that there had been insufficient consultation before the relevant Bill was passed. KwaZulu/ Natal premier Frank Mdlalose has to file replying affidavits by February 14.
The ANC is also challenging two key clauses of the Act which are intended to erode central government’s authority in the province, but strengthen IFP control over chiefs.
The ANC’s decision to embark on court action indicates the province’s coalition government is under severe strain and is failing to find common ground through negotiations.
The IFP showed contempt for the court action earlier this week by going ahead to constitute a 77-member House with Buthelezi as chairman and Chief Boy Mzimela — alleged to be implicated in the murder of about six of his brothers in a much earlier fight for the chieftaincy of his tribe — as deputy chairman.
At grassroots level, there are also signs of rising tensions — and the IFP Paulpietersburg branch last month called for an IFP pull-out from the government of national unity (GNU) and for arms to be supplied to them.
The current flashpoint of violence is the Dalton men’s hostel — a kilometre from Durban’s city centre — where fighting has raged between supporters of the Royal House and the IFP.
A rise in political activity formed the backdrop to the violence: the IFP launched a branch there with the aim of recruiting support in the ANC’s urban strongholds, while other hostel residents helped found the kwaZulu/Natal Hostel Residents’ Association (Khora), the vehicle behind Zwelithini’s peace initiative among hostel-dwellers.
While the first attack was recorded on December 10 — when a hand-grenade was thrown into the hostel — violence continued into this week, bringing the death toll to 13.
HRC violence monitor Linda McLean said violence has remained at a steady level since the April poll, averaging about 80 deaths a month.
Ominously, McLean pointed out that several IFP-aligned community leaders — in the forefront of peace calls — had been killed in recent months. The latest victim was an IFP councillor in the Empangeni area who was gunned down earlier this week.
McLean said the councillor, known as Dlodlo, was shot dead as he spoke at a meeting on the need to allow ANC refugees to return to their homes.
ANC kwaZulu/Natal spokesman Dumisani Makhaye blamed continuing violence on the direction the IFP plans to take in the months ahead. “The IFP … hasn’t abandoned the idea of secession,” said Makhaye, adding that these elements — including white extremists in the IFP’s provincial caucus – – are brewing trouble by pushing for a pull-out from the GNU.
But IFP secretary general Ziba Jiyane accused the ANC of fomenting violence, saying its “radicals” were bent on “eliminating” the IFP as it was the only black party in a position to make a serious bid for power in future elections.
Jiyane said ANC “radicals” were using state power to “weaken” the IFP. He cited Safety and Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi’s decision to launch an investigation into alleged kwaZulu Police hit squads and his decision to block the enrolment of several hundred men into the police force, pending an investigation into their alleged criminal activity.
But Makhaye believes the government needs to act swiftly to clamp down on violence. He said it was “absolutely important” to disarm IFP-aligned chiefs armed with G-3 rifles — and for an overhaul of the upper echelons of the KZP and South African Police Services to take place.
Jiyane said the IFP wants a devolution of policing powers to the province and Mufamadi’s refusal to do so was frustrating provincial minister Celani Mthethwa’s attempts to quell violence.