Farouk Chothia
THERE have been seven attacks on prominent Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) members involved in peace initiatives with the ANC since last September.
The Human Rights Committee (HRC) suspects these attacks are being carried out by hardliners who oppose the peace initiatives of their moderate colleagues.
But IFP senator Philip Powell vehemently denied this. “It is one of the most tardy bits of political propaganda,” said Powell.
According to the HRC, three of those targeted were Zulu traditional leaders, probably indicating the difficulties they face in heeding King Goodwill Zwelithini’s call on them to accommodate the IFP and the ANC within their fiefdoms.
HRC violence monitor Linda McLean said the background to most of the attacks was the same — the targeted IFP leader supported the return of ANC refugees to their communities, but faced opposition from other IFP leaders and members.
Powell blamed ANC members for the attacks, saying IFP leaders who “exposed” themselves through peace talks have become “soft targets”.
“ANC members have thinned out the IFP leadership to the point where only those whom they call warlords survive. They are killing every single IFP leader who does not arm himself and surround himself with bodyguards,” he said.
The HRC said the latest target was Induna Themba Cele whose home in Izingolweni on the South Coast was raked with bullets and set on fire earlier this week. Five youths, including three of Cele’s children, were killed.
McLean said there were suspicions that Cele’s home was attacked because he favoured the return of fleeing ANC supporters to Izingolweni.
McLean said another alleged victim of IFP in-fighting was the deputy mayor of Enseleni township in northern Natal, Ndukenhle Dlodlo, who was gunned down on January 10 while addressing a meeting of councillors.
She said that while Dlodlo was an IFP supporter, he wanted to “facilitate” the return of ANC refugees and promoted the reconstruction and development programme.
The HRC said that other violent incidents that could be related to internal IFP conflict include:
* The killing of the wife of Induna Shange who was shot dead at her home in Nyandezulu on the South Coast last October.
* Gun-fire attacks on the homes of IFP-aligned Induna Sgoqo Dube and councillor Tito Dube last November in kwaHlaza on the North Coast. The attacks left three women and two children dead.
* The shooting of two IFP members, including peace negotiator Johnson Myeni, soon after a joint IFP-ANC peace rally in Bhambayi, near Durban. The former local IFP chairman, Victor Shawe, is facing murder charges in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court in connection with these killings.