peace
A new optimism has arisen out of arrests in
politically related crimes on the South Coast,
reports Ann Eveleth
The work of the police Special Investigation
Team probing political violence on the
KwaZulu-Natal South Coast has brought relative
peace to a region once soaked by the blood of
internecine strife.
Hailed as a “breakthrough” by violence
monitors, the team’s arrest of 57 suspects in
connection with 18 cases of what appears to be
politically motivated murder, spanning more
than four years, has brought fresh optimism to
violence-torn communities.
Said Network of Independent Monitors’ South
Coast representative Selvan Chetty: “Our
organisation is very optimistic. We are seeing
significant progress, and the statistics are
showing a marked decline in political violence
since the team began making arrests.”
Chetty said fear that had dominated the region
for years was lifting, and refugees were
beginning to return to their homes. Congress
of Traditional Leaders of South Africa
(Contralesa) chief Everson Xolo is even
planning to return to the home he fled after
an assassination attempt in December 1993.
Xolo said he had attended several meetings in
the area in recent weeks and would address
supporters in his KwaXolo district this
weekend. “I am preparing to return
permanently, as soon as accommodation and
security arrangements are finalised.”
Xolo said 13 families had returned home last
weekend, while others who have been living in
a refugee-tent village in Margate are expected
to return soon.
The new optimism has been growing since the
team’s first arrests, but was given a
significant boost with its dramatic swoop last
week on suspects in the brutal Christmas Day
massacre of 19 people in rural Shobashobane.
The swoop netted 25 suspects in its first
week, and the numbers are expected to rise as
the team pursues a further 71 warrants of
arrest.
Launched at midnight last Friday, the swoop –
— led by the special team, but including
about 150 police officers from several units
as well as South African National Defence
Force medical officers — followed more than
two weeks of intensive preparation, and nearly
four months of investigation.
The team’s spokesman, Reg Crewe, said the
arrests of senior community leaders —
including last Friday’s arrest of the Inkatha
Freedom Party’s Izingolweni chair Sipho
Ngcobo, and the earlier arrests of IFP South
Coast publicity chair James Zulu and IFP
KwaXolo leader Sqolozo Xolo — indicated
that the unit has been “fairly successful in
neutralising the alleged leaders of the
conflict”.
While Chetty agreed that the investigations
were “no doubt paying dividends”, he warned
that the old problems could resurface unless
the “architects of the violence are brought to
book”. He argued that while the arrested
community leaders might be regarded as the
alleged “kingpins” in the violence, they were
not the masterminds.
“There has for a long time been a very obvious
Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB)-police-IFP
link on the South Coast. Ngcobo, Zulu and Xolo
are local leaders who in some cases have been
manipulated. There are clearly people behind
them who have not yet been brought to book,”
Chetty said.
Ngcobo and Zulu have faced charges, together
with AWB leaders, in connection with a spate
of pre-election attacks on the South Coast and
in Transkei which were claimed by the shadowy
right-wing Natal Liberation Army.
Chetty also pointed out that so far no senior
police officers have been targeted for arrest
by the Special Investigation Team.
Crewe said the unit had obtained four arrest
warrants for junior officers (the most senior
is believed to be a sergeant) and was still
investigating allegations against six others
in connection with the Shobashobane massacre.