Inkathagate was the story of how the apartheid-era South African Police provided funds to the Inkatha Freedom Party to help it oppose the African National Congress.
The story was broken in July 1991 after a detailed investigation by the Mail & Guardian’s predecessor, The Weekly Mail.
The Weekly Mail’s investigation revealed documents showing extensive discussions between Inkatha president Mangosuthu Buthelezi and a senior Durban security policeman ”about ways of preventing the ANC from eroding Inkatha’s support in Natal”.
Shortly after ANC president Nelson Mandela’s release, The Weekly Mail revealed that at least R250 000 was paid into an IFP account for the purpose of organising rallies and other anti-ANC activities.
The Weekly Mail also confirmed that the IFP was paid R100 000 to organise another rally in 1989.
Major Louis Botha, who was an apartheid-era security policeman who had held discussions with Buthelezi, wrote a 10-page memorandum motivating the payment to Inkatha, which was published in The Weekly Mail in July 1991.
Botha argued in the memorandum that the police should support Inkatha ”because Buthelezi, under pressure from some of his ministers because of falling support, would otherwise be forced to join forces with the ANC”.
The Weekly Mail also revealed that the IFP’s trade union arm — the United Workers’ Union of South Africa — was also funded by the apartheid-era government.
The apartheid law and order minister Adriaan Vlok had revealed that the government had funded the union to the tune of R1,5-million.