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
6.2. WARLORDISM IN MANDINI
There are different definitions of the term "warlord". According to the TRC, the term first came into common currency in the late 1980s as an analytical description of a number of
"vigilantes" and Inkatha leaders who had risen to prominence in the growing party
conflict in the provincel69. Webster's dictionary defines a warlord as a military commander exercising civil power seized or maintained by force acting usually purely from self-interest 170. In a nutshell, warlords can be defined as powerful local leaders who rely on force of arms to gain and maintain their power. They tend to gather a group of
167 These houses were used to accommodate comrades after the occupants ran away. At 1140, the
Khambule family vacated the house after their son Mathandi Khambule was stabbed to death by the IFP in 1994.
168 Comrade Bongani got his nickname "94" for his killing spree and notoriety in 1994.
professional strong-arm men around them and they pay for their services by exploiting the local populacel7l. In a sense, these warlords exercise de facto power in their areas.
In Mandini, several such warlords existed. They were similar to the case of Thomas Mandla Shabalala in Lindelani and Sfiso Nkabinde in Richmond, but not as powerful.
The most identifiable Inkatha warlords in Mandini were Mr "Ten-Ten" Zulu and Miss Joyce Shandu from Redhill Section, Mr Robert Mdletshe from DendethulEnembe, Chief Khayelihle Mathaba from Emacambini, Mrs Florence Masondo from Isikhalambazo, Mr
Shwabede from Masomonco and Mr Mbuyazi from Dark City.
In the ANC's view, these Inkatha warlords were responsible for the ongoing political violence between the ANC and the IFP in Mandini. To a particular extent, they were the ones who fuelled the cycle of political unrest in the area. They formulated their own vigilante groups in their respective areas. These vigilantes were then especially accommodated in bulk of houses so as to carry out the rampage of Inkatha. The gross human rights violations in Mandini including abduction, maiming, torture, forced- recruitment and murder can be attributed to these warlords and their vigilantes. Mr Robert Mdletshe was the most powerful and feared Inkatha warlord. He operated from Dendethu right through to Inembe, an area approximately 60 kilometers from Sundumbili Township and accommodates approximately one-third of Mandini population. He is believed to have killed a large number of 'comrades', looted and burnt many houses, and displaced a huge number of community members who were unwilling to compromise his activities. His Amabutho - military regiment - was the most powerful and active amongst all Inkatha structures in Mandini
Another active warlord was Mr "Ten-Ten" Zulu. Mr Zulu, together with Miss Joyce Shandu, were jointly responsible for the political unrest and violence in Redhill and Island sections. Mr. Zulu took an active part in attacks and murders that took place in these sections of the township. In most cases operations were planned at and carried out from his home. He is believed to have shot dead three people at a shebeen just because they were working at Hendred. Sometimes people were abducted to his home where they were tortured before being killed. There were very few cases of people who managed to escape or who were automatically released after they had been captured. Miss Lungile Mbokazi was one of those lucky enough to be released after she was abducted by a group of Inkatha supporters. She was abducted in 1994 just because she had once quarreled with Joyce Shandu's daughter at the early stages of their primary education, basically in the late 1980s. Fortunately for her, after having been severely sjamboked, she was released after a strong involvement of some women who were Inkatha members and who were co-workers with Lungile's mother at Renckens Hyper Store. Redhill, particularly, became a stronghold of the IFP and a "no-go-area" for the ANC. It was difficult even to the political innocent people to cross through Redhill or to visit their friends and relatives there. Just because they were not known in the area, therefore, they would be associated with the ANC and be subjected to punishment.
Skhalambazo section, under the command of Mrs Florence Masondo, was also turned into an IFP stronghold and a "no-go-zone" for the ANC. The brutality that Mrs Masondo and her IFP activists displayed at Skhalambazo was extreme. Many families had no choice but to leave the area to safeguard their lives. One of the most feared Inkatha assassins in this area was a man known as "Scefe" who was stayed at Mrs. Masondo' s
house. He was feared throughout Sundumbili Township and even the police themselves were scared of him. In most cases, this man did not use a gun but relied on a knife for his killings. It is difficult to quantify how many people he stabbed to death. His victims even included some Inkatha supporters.
Mr. Shwabede was another feared Inkatha warlord. He operated in an area called Masomonco, next to Maseko Village, an area under the ANC jurisdiction. Mr. Shwabede carried out his rampage right through Maseko Village usually at night. Many people were killed in this area and their shacks burnt to ashes. The "comrades" tried to defend this area from being seized by the IFP. Attacks and counter-attacks became the 'bread and butter' between the 'comrades' and Inkatha. In 1994, just before the elections, the IFP held a rally at Machibini. The IFP march proceeded across Maseko Village and the IFP supporters threatened comrades. They were told "we are coming back and your days are numbered ..... We don 'I wanl you here". The IFP rally dispersed at about 4pm. The IFP then marched back to Maseko Village escorted by the police. On their arrival, a gun battle took place between the ANC and Inkatha right in front of the police. The IFP proved to be strong, the 'comrades' surrendered and fled away. The IFP then burnt to ashes almost all shacks at Maseko Village with police standing and watching a couple of miles away. The villagers only escaped with what they were wearing when the battle took place. Sadly, they were rejected allover the township as people who were going to cause violence. On Tuesday, the following week, Mr Maseko (owner of Maseko Village) was invited by Mr Shwabede to his home just to settle differences between them. On his arrival, he was immediately shot dead. This was a well-planned plot by Shwabede but he was never arrested.
The strength of these warlords was much more powerful with the involvement of Mr Thomas Mandla Shabalala, another powerful Inkatha warlord in Lindelani. Shabalala had a presence of armed men in many different parts of the region and had been implicated in conflict in the North Coast areas including Eshowe, Mandini and EsikhawinilEmpangeni.
These warlords in established a "reign of terror" in Mandini and nearly turned Mandini into a "civil war".