Unpacking political and taxi thuggery in KZN
WHEN veteran KZN journalist Greg Ardé hasn’t been skateboarding on the beachfront promenade or writing pleasant mini-profiles of Durbanites under the heading “Greg Talks” on Facebook, he’s been locked in investigations into the uglier side of life.
The fruit of Ardé’s efforts is the newly-released book War Party, about fighting in KwaZulu-Natal within the governing party, a project that has shown up the thuggery of taxi, political and security fraternities and the vulnerability of whistle-blowers as well as anyone else who gets in the way.
“I am not an ANC specialist,” he insisted. “I didn’t want it to be a political book. People are so desensitised to political killings. I’ve tried to break it down to being stories about people.”
His journey took him to the dens of Mafia-like businessmen, both in rural hideaways and upmarket uMhlanga restaurants. He tells of walking down a long, dark passage past groups of “heavies checking me out”, before reaching the inner sanctum of the bosses. Once there, they gave him accounts of the career killers.
“These ‘heavies’ are used to bully and intimidate. They are total mercenaries. They have no loyalty,” Ardé said. “One may be used in a taxi hit. He probably spends most time as a guard but will moonlight in cash-in-transit heists, maybe help a politician who wants to intimidate a rival.
“And it’s a self-perpetuating industry. Often when there’s no work, they’ll instigate violence so that their existence is justified.”
He learned too that the taxi industry was “awash with money” that was impossible to count and could therefore easily be spent buying the service of thugs. “It’s so enabling. There’s a whole lot of cash. This makes it possible for people to buy bullies, hitmen. I found it both hairy and fascinating.”
To his surprise, some unlikely sources were willing to talk. Perhaps Ardé’s greatest surprise was how courteous some of the villains were. He said he always tried to stay mindful of their motives. Some spill the beans because they think they aren’t getting their share of the action, and others want to get even with their enemies.
Then there were the victims. Ardé travelled to far-flung areas where families gave heartfelt recollections of their kin who were murdered because they wouldn’t tolerate corruption. “It was remarkable that there were people willing to talk despite the murders and in a climate of fear and suspicion.”
Following up on the fate of whistle-blowers in small towns from Umzimkulu to Newcastle, Richmond to Dundee, Ardé heard first-hand accounts of an attack on a classroom in Nqutu where 13-year-old Elizabeth Nhleko was shot dead because hitmen were after her teacher, an ANC whistle-blower.
In the book he describes the incident: “On the day of the killing, the hitman, Sibongiseni Mdakane, arrived at the primary school and asked to speak to Vusumuzi. Mdakane was a local from Nquthu who worked as a security guard. He entered the classroom, shook Vusumuzi’s hand and spoke to him about work. Vusumuzi gave Mdakane some telephone numbers. Mdakane then pretended to turn and leave. As Vusumuzi returned to the chalkboard, Mdakane pulled out a gun and opened fire, shooting Vusumuzi and two pupils by accident.”
Ardé remarked: “The other child was injured. The rest will be emotionally scarred for life. This happening on the back of greed.” Investigations were often stifled by the inefficiency, or unwillingness, on the part of law enforcers or the judicial system. “The media have a privileged position with some access. The average Joe is lost.” He described the experience as eye-opening on the one hand but, on the other hand, a dogged attempt to try to get answers out of various parts of the bureaucracy. Ardé, 50, whose love of people’s personal stories and curiosity led him to his career in journalism, has covered political violence since the 1990s.
One of his most profound moments was an address by Nelson Mandela at the palace of Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini. “Madiba said ‘there is no dignity in this violence’ and that brought it all home to me.”
War Party, by Greg Ardé, is published by Tafelberg and retails for R290.