WEDNESDAY, 4.30PM
The recent massacre of five African National Congress members in Richmond in KwaZulu-Natal had an unexpected effect on the peace pact in the province betwen the ANC and Inkatha Freedom Party when violence betwen supporters of the two parties broke out in nearby Fredville after security forces were moved from the area to police Richmond.
The removal of security forces from Fredville last week allowed tensions to bubble over into violence on Monday, when IFP supporters from Tin Town shanty settlement clashed with ANC supporters from neighbouring Panakeni and Stageni, which led to one man being shot dead and six people injured.
On Wednesday morning, local ANC and IFP leaders met security forces to discuss the crisis. However, after the meeting the ANC said it would not attent further meetings until provincial Premier Ben Ngubane and ANC provincial leader Jacob Zuma address the conflict. ANC Chief Zibuse Mlaba also demanded the issue be addressed by Safety and Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi and his provincial counterpart, Chief Nyanga Ngubane.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday morning two large groups of people, one from Stageni and the other from Tin Town, gathered on opposite sides of the main road separating the two areas and threatened to attack each other. Mlaba, who was at the scene, said ANC leaders managed to persuade the ANC group to disperse. Asked what had sparked the fresh hostilities, Mlaba said residents suspected third force elements were responsible because there was no single incident which seemed to have sparked the violence.
A police patrol came under fire on Wednesday morning when it tried to arrrest two men carrying firearms in Tin Town. Police returned fire but no one was apparently wounded in the exchange, officers on the scene said. Police and troops have come under fire several times since Monday morning. On Wednesday afternoon the area was reported to be tense.