Issued by: African National Congress
SPEECH BY DUMISANI MAKHAYE, ANC KWAZULU NATAL PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER AT INTSHANGA ON AUGUST 31 1997
I have come here as a messenger of the ANC Provincial leadership. I have come here to see for myself the suffering of our people here at Intshanga. I have come here to listen to our people.
This political violence has created too many widows and widowers; too many orphans. We are burying literally every week. Fresh graves litter the hills and valleys of Intshanga. This political violence must now come to an end.
Let us achieve peace among our people! Let us reach out to each other!
Let us in peace reconstruct our lives! Let us in peace recreate the future of our children. We dare not forget the recent history of this area. Let us not forget that even after the unbanning of the ANC, the ANC and other democratic forces were not allowed free political activity in any African area in KwaZulu Natal. Be it at Umlazi, KwaMashu, Sikhawini, Lamontville, Folweni, Imbali and even here at Intshanga, the ANC and other democratic forces had still to fight for the right to engage in free political activity.
After having reclaimed our right to free political activity, the overwhelming majority of our people in this area supported the ANC. This was proved in the 1994 democratic elections and the 1996 local government elections. But our enemies spend sleepless nights plotting our undoing. A systematic campaign of demonisation was mounted against the ANC leadership in the area. Sporadic killings of the most trusted ANC leaders and members started. Little did we know that IFP hit-squads had been infiltrated in our communities.
All of a sudden Phillip Powell, David Ntombela of the IFP and S'fiso Nkabinde of the Third Force came to the scene. They were on radio and newspapers everyday condemning the local ANC leadership for violence.
At the same time illegal weapons were pouring in. But why are these known criminals not arrested? Why are they still maintaining senior positions in the SAPS? This is a major challenge to the Minister of Safety and Security, Sydney Mafumadi, and the SAPS National Commissioner, George Fivas. It must be remembered that when the ANC expelled S'fiso Nkabinde for spying for the apartheid security forces, one of the senior police officers mentioned as his handler was operating from this area. Why are these police officers not at least removed from these areas where they are fomenting violence? We want an answer and we want it in a hurry! I must hasten to say that the overwhelming majority of the security forces are honest men and women that need our support. They too are injured by the activities of the Third Force.
The lesson we must all learn is that where our structures are weak - the ANC, ANC Women's League, ANC Youth League and community structures - we are always vulnerable. It is therefore crucial and urgent there we build our structures. That is a challenge to the local and regional ANC leadership. It is a challenge to all our cadres and members of the Intshanga community. We must not be found wanting.
We are noticing that as the peace process is gaining momentum, at the same time the number of violent flash-points is increasing. There is H-section and Unit-17 of Umlazi; there is Maye and Tabhazi at Nongoma; there is Mhubheni at Escourt; there is Richmond; there is Matimatolo.
The aim is to discredit and finally undermine the peace process in the province. The aim is to say Africans, and, Zulus in particular always need the guidance of the white man if there is going to be peace among them, otherwise they are always at each others' throats.
But peace will triumph in KwaZulu Natal. We owe it to the victims of this internicine violence. We owe it to the widows and widowers. We owe it to the orphans and those wh were maimed in this political violence. We owe it to our King. We owe it to generations to come. We are confident that peace will triumph. There are sufficiently strong forces for peace in both the ANC and IFP. They are led by Jacob Zuma and the Prince of KwaPhindangene, Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi, respectively.
There is a grave responsibility on the shoulders of the ANC and IFP leaders and members. There are criminals infiltrated in both the ANC and IFP whose task is to foment violence between the supporters of the two organisations. We must act decisively against these enemy agent provocateurs. The ANC has begun to act against these agent provocateurs. Where is S'fiso Derrick Nene Nkabinde? He, together with three prominent Natal Midland leaders masquerading as IFP leaders were mentioned by the Military Intelligence Report as responsible for training people who are today killing us in Richmond and Ntshanga.
The ANC has acted against Nkabinde. This is a challenge to the IFP leadership.
We must not be fooled by who is responsible for political violence in Richmond and Ntshanga. It is not simply a war between the ANC and Nkabinde or IFP. We are being killed by the Third Force elements and some pseudo-leaders masquerading as genuine leaders of our organisations. These pseudo-leaders were recruited, trained, armed and deployed under the De Klerk regime. If De Klerk is now sincere, he must assist in dismantling his Third Force network. Of course, we would be naive to think De Klerk will assist in dismantling the Third Force.
The most important task is to achieve peace among our people and it will be achieved. No matter how big the quarrels between the ANC and IFP are, but we must quarrel under conditions of peace. No matter how much do we disagree, let us disagree under the conditions of peace and democracy - the right to choose the party of your choice. Joe Mathews and Sipho Mzimela decided to choose the IFP from the ANC. There was no call for war and bloodshed from the ANC.
Similarly, Comrade Walter Felgate decided to choose the ANC from the IFP. There should be no war-mongering over this. Unfortunately, the IFP top leadership has decided to call Comrade Walter Felgate different names - a mad man; so sickly that he is about to die and a perpetual divorcee. He is accused of having stolen important IFP papers. Yes, perhaps he is behaving like all mad people who pick up papers. It is important to emphasise that peace between the ANC and IFP does not mean that the ANC must become the IFP and vice versa. Both organisations will continue to sell their policies to the electorate. But we must do so under the conditions of peace. Peace must also not depend on the whims of individuals or parties. Peace must be enforceable.
Whether peace can be enforceable with Tim McNally as the Attorney- General or with the present SAPS Management in KwaZulu Natal, I do not know. Ministers Sydney Mafumadi and Dullar Omar must respond to that question.
The IFP keeps on accusing the ANC for not recognising it as a genuine national liberation movement. We are not judges. History is the judge.
The Inkathagate, Romeo Mbambo and Magnus Malan Trials, the evidence before the TRC and the Enquiry in the killing of IFP members and other people near Shell House will tell us what the IFP is. If indeed the IFP is a national liberation movement, then it would be a national liberation of a special type; a national liberation which was financed by the oppressor and whose cadres were militarily trained by the national oppressor.
The ANC is ready to Govern KwaZulu Natal! The ANC will govern KwaZulu Natal in 1999!
For further information phone Dumisani Makhaye at o82 551 9192 or 031 400 6416 .