An emotional meeting in Boipatong saw the date set for a formal reconciliation between the Boipatong victims group and the Inkatha Freedom Party.
The move towards reconciliation began in June and was finalised on Tuesday when both sides met and agreed to a final meeting on September 22.
The victims group of the 1992 Boipatong massacre grew disillusioned with local councillors, who they alleged had been using their cause to raise money — money that has never reached them, the victims say.
Sinah Mokatl, spokesperson for the victims, says: “We want to be on good terms with the IFP and we want to formalise this process.”
But she says that in recent months the victims had grown increasingly angry as they were not included in the annual commemorations organised by the local African National Congress council.
Earlier this year, the victims allege, Nkosana Msibi, a councillor at Emfuleni local municpality, used the massacre to raise R9000 from local businesses, but the money disappeared.
The victims group moved towards formal reconciliation so that they could end exploitation of their cause by outside parties.
Themba Msibi (45) lost his daughter, sister-in-law and two nieces in the massacre. He says: “Our leaders were doing things for themselves, not for us. They are politicising our loved ones.”
Councillor Msibi denies he raised the money by using the Boipatong victims’ names. He says the money was used to buy food for the 10th anniversary of the massacre and that the victims group had been included in discussions about the commemoration.
IFP induna Mtwana Zulu was pleased with the outcome and said the IFP had wanted the chance to reconcile with the victims for many years. He welcomed the opportunity to talk to the victims and shake hands with them.
The victims group say they had invited councillor Msibi four times to the reconciliation talks, but each time he had declined their invitation. He says he was never invited.
The Boipatong victims are still waiting for reparations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.