I. S.OTHER THEORETICAL EXPLANATIONS OF CONFLICT IN MANDINI Three other basic theoretical positions account for the conflict and violence which
6. THE POLITICAL LIFE OF MANDINI IN THE 1990S THE VIEWPOINT OF THE ANC ALliANCE
6.4. POLITICAL LIFE OF MANDINI IN THE 1990S THE VIEWPOINT OF THE IFP
wearing civilian clothes. Sometimes if they wanted to revisit the scene, they could run to the police station immediately after the operation and come back in full police uniform pretending to be investigating the matter. Their purpose was to find out whether the operation had been conducted successfully or not, or just to clear up whatever might be suspected as the evidence. This was their good disguise because no one suspected the police in these syndicate attacks.
In addition to this, a covert intelligence unit existed in Mandini, which supplied a hit squad with necessary and reliable information regarding the ANC targets. However, this intelligence unit was not a formal or an official unit of Inkatha but these were some members of the KZP and Inkatha who were well acquainted with ANC activists. These people made it possible for a hit squad, including Caprivians, to carry out their operations successfully. The Caprivians were deployed in almost all KZP stations in KwaZulu- Natal. One of the most notorious Caprivians deployed in Sundumbili Police Station was Detective Seargent Khumbulani Khuzwayo, who was also famously known as "KB". He is believed to have killed many ANC activists in Mandini. Most of his networks were IFP activists such as Mr Bheki Nzuza and Mr Mbuso Chiliza.
6.4. POLITICAL LIFE OF MANDINI IN THE 1990S
in areas such as MacambinilLambothi and Isithebe was the cause of political unrest in Mandini. Many IFP members were killed and others made destitute or displaced by what was called the Disciplinary Committee (DC) in Isithebe. The ANC leadership and its supporters continued its culture of provoking and insulting the leadership of Inkatha and the KZP, which it inherited from the 1980s. Inkatha and the KZP were two separate entities but the ANC/Cosatu married these two structures in order to portray political violence in Mandini as being caused by Inkatha and the police, while, in the IFP's view, it was the alliance that caused it. It was a well-orchestrated propaganda onslaught by the ANC/Cosatu against Inkatha and almost every structure ofKwaZulu Governrnent.
According to Inkatha, Mandini was engulfed in a situation of war. In any situation of war, there are casualties. It must not therefore be a bitter pill to swallow for the ANC that it suffered many casualties because they are the ones who were responsible for political unrest in Mandini. The ANC in Mandini continued to hurl insults against Chief Buthelezi and Inkatha by deliberately calling Inkatha "Oklova", "Otheleweni':
''Futhinyongo'', ''Xubhagwinye'', ''!zitaki'' and many others. They also referred to Chief Buthelezi as a doormat of President FW De Klerk. Such utterances provoked and angered Inkatha supporters who could not fold their arms while their members were continuously attacked by the ANC. The ANC was warned on several occasions to refrain from such behavior because it was then obvious that the end results would be violence. Those ANC members who died in this violence, died in retaliation at the hands of the IFP because they had provoked the IFP violently over a period of time, in a way in which they could no longer tolerate.
According to the IFP, it is the ANC that wanted to make KwaZulu-Natal uncontrollable and ungovernable. People were infiltrated in Mandini from different ANC-controlled areas in Natal just to make Mandini uncontrollable and politically intolerable. In areas such as "45", Lambothi and Maseko Village, there were ex-MK cadres just brought in to these areas for political reasons. They were brought mainly to target Inkatha and the KZP. These former MK members were the products of the ANC's Natal Machiner/72• This unit was seen as instrumental in launching the ANC's political activities in KwaZulu Natal.
In early 1990s, the then President of the ANC, Mr Nelson Mandela, called on all members and supporters of the ANC to throw their weapons in the sea and to preserve peace in the region. These calls fell on deaf ears on the ANC in Mandini, particularly its youth. Through terror tactics, the IFP supporters were then intimidated from time to time in different parts of Sundumbili Township. What initially made the situation worse is the fact that the troublemakers were not residing in Sundumbili Township. Basically, the main trouble spot was not Sundumbili itself but just outside, in Maseko Village, where these former MK members and 'comrades' from different places were accommodated.
The culprits, who were all youths, moved from Maseko Village into Sundumbili Township to cause trouble there. These were mainly unemployed ANC youth who did not bother about finding jobs but who dedicated themselves to crime. In Inkatha's opinion, the ANC should have imposed disciplinary measures against the youth if it was interested in peace and stability in Mandini. Instead, these people became ruthless killers
172 The Natal Machinery was the ANC military base set up in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, particulary, in Ingwavuma, in mid 1980s. Comrade Linda Khuzwayo (codenamed Comrade Post) and Comrade Jacob
who not only killed IFP supporters but even politically innocent citizens of this township.
On 7 July 1993, four houses were burnt in Sundumbili, two people were killed and four others were injured in political violence that was perpetrated by these ANC supporters from Maseko Village and Masomonco. Also in 1993, Mr Owen Khuzwayo, a prominent Inkatha activist from Dark City, was shot dead and his body burnt beyond recognition near Apex (ANC dominated factory) in Isithebe. Towards the end of 1994, Mr Tubesi Zulu was shot dead and two of his colleagues, both Inkatha activists, narrowly escaped death just because they were found in a "no-go-area" for Inkatha. Initially they targeted Mr Sonnyboy Bheki Nzuza who allegedly stabbed to death Mathandi Khambule on 17 April 1994, ten days before the first democratic elections.
This was clearly a political campaign carried out by the ANC against the IFP. Also in 1994, the home of a prominent Inkatha member at Qhiphukhowe was attacked by ANC youth from Ezimpohlweni. Fortunately no one was injured but many houses were burnt to ashes. During the period in question, many IFP supporters were killed particularly at Mandafarm, Thokoza and Dark City. The most feared ANC activist who was behind this operation at Dark City was Bongani (also known as "94". This man is believed to have cold-bloodedly shot and stabbed to death many IFP supporters in the area. One of his victims was an IFP supporter found at the nearby shebeen (full names unknown)."94", together with other comrades, abducted this man and cut his throat. It was alleged that they turned his bleeding head into a soccer ball.
The IFP argued that Chief Buthelezi and Inkatha became the enemies of the ANC in Mandini for the reasons they did not know. There was no party and no person who
security force (SADF) became a private army of the ANC. The ANC invited the security force to come and harass IFP leaders yet no one among the leadership of the ANC suffered the same way as the leaders of the IFP because the ANC itself was also involved in violence. Most of the local IFP leadership was sold-out to the security force by Mr Sam Zwane and Mr Vincent Shandu (both ANC leaders in Mandini). The security force and the Internal Stability Unit (ISU) were deliberately misled and misinformed by the ANC that the leaders of the IFP were burying illegal and dangerous weapons at their homes. Among those who were victimized by the SADF was Mrs Florance Masondo from Skhalambazo section. The SADF was searching for the alleged illegal weapons when it broke the front door of her house at about 1:30 am in 1994. They dug the yard but no guns were found, only her 9mm-licensed pistol was available. Mrs Masondo was then arrested leaving her two-months old baby behind. The SADF and the ISU were working according to the list of IFP houses to be raided. Mr Bongani Mthimkhulu and
"Ten-ten" Zulu were also the next candidates of the security force. Their homes were also damaged by the SADF searching for these illegal weapons. This was a well-cooked politics by the ANC, especially Sam Zwane just to embarrass the IFP and to portray violence in Mandini as being instigated by the IFP.
Many IFP supporters in Mandini suffered heavy casualties in this war between the ANC and the IFP. Some were killed, their houses burnt and others were forcibly displaced. A house belonging to Miss Joyce Shandu, leader of Inkatha Women's Brigade in Mandini, was attacked and petrol-bombed by Mr Linda Zondi and his crew (all ANC activists). In March 1994, Mr Ntuthuko Mhlongo was attacked by the youth with pangas and subsequently died at Stanger Hospital. He is believed to have been killed by his half
Fihlela an ANC activist stabbed Mr "Kibho" Mbhele because he did not want to join the , , ANC. Mr Mbhele subsequently died at Stanger Hospital. At Island section, most ANC youths that were responsible for a number of killings were staying at Mr Fihlela's house. Their purpose was to tum Island into a "no-go-area" for the IFP in which they were unsuccessful.
According to the IFP, the work of the KZP was recommendable. The police were fair because from both sides arrests were made. The police escorted both the ANC and the IFP whenever they had rallies. It was therefore not true to claim that the KZP were partial towards Inkatha. The KZP was never a partial force, the only partial force that existed in Mandini were the security forces which, by all means at their disposal, assisted the ANC in its subotage campaign against the IFP. They were completely a partial force towards the ANC. Even the ISU was siding with the ANe. The security force or the ISU ever arrested even a single member of the ANe. The KZP, however, patrolled every section of the township and even the out skirt areas that were hot spots of violence searching for illegal weapons. The KZP were much committed to preserving peace and stability in Mandini. It was just that the ANC controlled areas did not want to be raided by the KZP, the institution it undermined and which it did not recognize. It was a propaganda of the ANC to label the KZP as a special force or a private army of the IFP. This emanated from the fact that the KZP were formed by K waZulu Government, particularly Chief Buthelezi, the one that the ANC classified as a surrogate of the apartheid regime.
Developing this argument further, the IFP alleged that those members of the IFP whom the ANC identified as warlords were not purely warlords. It was just that these people
people warlords precisely because it unsuccessfully tried on several occasions to win these areas and only to find that the IFP was strong. The intensification of political violence in areas under the authority of Amakhosi was a product of a calculated strategy by the
ANe
to undermine the authority of tribal structures. TheANe
did not show any due respect to Amakhosi and Izinduna. TheANe
regarded Amakhosi as retrogressive people who were the "puppets" of Gatsha regime in KwaZulu. The Zulu people, therefore, who were loyal to Amakhosi and their tribal authorities, people who still preserved and respected the traditional structures of the Zulu Kingdom, wanted by all means available to defend their chiefs and preserve the pride of the Zulu nation which was at stake.The IFP further argued that the
ANe
continued its strategy of ungovernability in the period running up to elections. Their objective was to overthrow the South African government in case constitutional negotiations failed. The K waZulu government was therefore its primary target. In April 1994, theANe
carried out a rampage in the area known as Gostini, just before Isithebe. Many houses were burnt and the destitute IFP supporters were left with no choice but to flee away. One of the victims of this rampage was Mr Makhoba and his wife. He was attacked by a group ofANe
members who shot him outside his house. They then locked the door of his house whilst his wife was asleep inside. The house was set alight and his wife died screaming for help. They then turned to Mr Makhoba who was already dead, they set his body alight and burnt it beyond recognition. In this rampage, Mrs Manyawo Mvubu was attacked, her house was looted and burnt just because she was staying in an IFP-controlled area. Miss Juana Ngwane was also attacked and her house burnt because she was suspected to be IFP-inclined. Mr.activities. They firstly burnt the house full of goats inside. They then set alight each and every house in the yard. This rampage displaced many IFP members from Gostini.
Violence further escalated in the township. The people believed to be MK cadres attacked Mr "Ten-ten" Zulu at Redhill and opened fire on the house. Fortunately people who were inside were neither shot nor injured but the house was badly damaged. More than 100 AK. -47 cartridges were found the following morning.