KZN’S KILLING FIELDS
THE recent spate of politically motivated assassinations and incidents of unrest in Kwazulu-natal takes us back to a dark past – a province gripped by fear, turmoil and bloodshed.
Recently, an IFP councillor was shot dead in Ulundi; in under half an hour in Pietermaritzburg an ANC leader was gunned down. Then a few days later another ANC leader was killed in front of his family.
On the back of these wanton murders of intolerance came the attack on members of a local mosque pointing to “an element of extremism” which left a person dead, all against a backdrop of rampant violent crime.
While police have yet to make direct arrests in the murders of scores of political leaders, allegations that the killings appear to be linked to intra-political infighting and factionalism are worrying. The province is again being labelled a “killing field”.
This does not augur well for the kind of socio-political climate we can expect in the run-up to the 2019 elections. While the country and province should be thriving in all aspects of business, politics and the economy, we are back in the throes of a violent prism with few being held accountable.
For those of us familiar with the violence and bloodshed of the late 80s and early 90s, this latest wave of attacks and murders brings back vivid and horrifying memories.
Victims of the brutality of the past are finding this ominous surge of political and criminal bloodshed deeply disturbing, invoking a renewed and unsettling sense of despair and dread for what may come.
For those who have lost loved ones and continue to lose comrades in 2018, it is devastating.
While the massacres of the past were a concerted and coerced political and bipartisan war at the time of uprising for a democratic South Africa, and fuelled by third force collusion tactics of the apartheid government in key regions of the province, allegations that the recent spate of political killings are spurred by internal factionalism and greed stand in stark contrast to the blood spilt for liberation.
Notwithstanding the complexity of possible debates around motive – political or otherwise – death is loss and loss is lasting.
The pain, hurt and devastation that come with a violent untimely death of someone cherished has consequences, and it’s beyond time that those with the means, and position to, stop it. There must be the will – on all fronts.
Political leaders across the board have predictably condemned the killings. But no one has taken responsibility and no arrests have been made.
Saying it must end is simply not enough. The culprits must be brought to book and if greed and corruption is at the centre of some of the killings, it must be exposed and branded as such.
In respect of the destabilising unrest, a collective approach is needed. Organised religion, civic organisations, organised labour, business, community and political leaders must pull together to look for solutions.
If nothing is done, the dire consequences for the province will be limitless in its scope.
In the run-up to the 2019 election, as in previous local government polls since 2016, we will be forced to witness no-go areas and the enabling environment for a free and fair election will be a dream.
Crime intelligence must be on the ball. Law enforcement must not just be seen to be acting; they must be efficient and effective. There must be arrests; successful prosecutions and punitive measures must carry weight.
Failing this, the outlook is a province of lawlessness and impunity for the perpetrators of assassinations, violence and crime in general.
Already murmurings abound that our beautiful region and province is being reduced to a playground for the lawless.
On the political front, it is no surprise that with ANC leaders topping the list of those assassinated – 14 from Moses Mabhida region alone – President Cyril Ramaphosa jetted into the province recently.
Referring to the murders as a national concern, he directed the police, intelligence, justice and defence to meet and report to him directly on their investigations into the killings and violence.
This week’s arrest of a mayor, a councillor and an alleged hitman in a pre-dawn raid by the Hawks demonstrates a positive response to the president’s call and is likely to send a strong message to those behind similar attacks. They were arrested on allegations of wanting to assassinate a municipal speaker apparently found to be an obstacle in the awarding of a tender, according to the Hawks.
Underlying the concern over the violent deaths of ANC leaders are ominous indicators of divisions within the party in the battle for position and privilege on offer at the finish line for the victors in the electoral race.
Party positions translate into government positions at all levels – fertile ground for allegations of gatekeeping, membership rigging and infighting especially in four regions that have been ring-fenced as conflict regions for the ANC: ethekwini‚ Harry Gwala‚ Lower South Coast and Moses Mabhida.
A significant threat to any electoral hopeful is exposure to corruption and ill-gained wealth – a key allegation behind the assassination of former
ANC Youth League secretarygeneral Sindiso Magaqa, who was gunned down last July. The former umzimkhulu Municipality councillor was allegedly exposing corruption when murdered.
Kwazulu-natal is tense and bleeding again. It anxiously awaits the findings of the Moerane Commission of Inquiry set up to investigate the causes of political violence and unrest in the province since 2011.
Papayya is an awardwinning former editor and writes in her personal capacity.