[Interestingly, even now, these Zulus are able to create no go areas and can, to a certain degree even keep govt ministers out.

This is black on black violence flaring up between the IFP and ANC supporters again. It results in some low intensity warfare, random killings and intimidation. Nothing new. This type of thing has been going on for the last 20(43)+ years.

KZN can become pretty wild. It does appear to me as if the FULL STORY of black on black violence in KZN has never really been told. It resulted in a veritable black-on-black civil war which raged on for years. Thousands of blacks were literally slaughtering each other. The cause was the ideological differences between the ANC (Socialist) and the IFP (pro-Capitalist, pro-Western). Thousands were killed. It is just another black-on-black WAR about which little has been written about – I suppose because nobody really wants to admit that blacks can’t get along. It would spoil the beautiful “theory” that all blacks in S.Africa are united.

Some Zulus want their own country. I support that. Like the Afrikaners, the Zulus should get their own independent state. For many years there have been exploratory talks between the Zulus and Afrikaners. The idea has some definite potential. But the ANC is managing, by hook or by crook to slowly take more and more control of KZN. Jan]

African National Congress President Thabo Mbeki has called on national Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula to send more police and the army to the Inkatha Freedom Party stronghold of Wembezi township outside Estcourt where political violence erupted minutes after Mbeki left the area on Sunday.

He had just left the township where thousands of residents promised to rally behind his party when he heard reports that pandemonium had engulfed the township and an ANC ward candidate had been shot.

The trouble started when a group of IFP supporters who were driving around the area in bakkies (pickup trucks) were pelted with stones by a crowd of marching ANC supporters.

Police fired rubber bullets to separate them as more people dressed in IFP regalia and wielding traditional weapons joined in the fight.

Less than 30 minutes earlier, residents had told Mbeki of areas that were generally known as IFP strongholds, which were also regarded as “no-go” areas for the ANC.

“I have been told that people here are no longer sleeping at night as they have to stay up in anticipation of an attack,” Mbeki said.

“Some people already know they have no chance of winning this area of Estcourt through the ballot and are now intimidating and shooting people in this area.

“I will be speaking to Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula to send more police to protect you when you are going to cast your votes on Wednesday,” he said from the back of an ANC truck.”

Already more than 14 000 police officers have been deployed in the province ahead of the elections.

The Independent Electoral Commission reported that there were at least 17 areas, including Estcourt, where political conflicts were expected ahead of the elections.

Mbeki’s election trail in Estcourt and Ladysmith was infiltrated by groups of ANC Deputy President Jacob Zuma’s supporters, who hurled insults at Mbeki.

While conducting a door-to-door campaign in Foderville in Estcourt, he came face to face with difficulties residents faced as a result of a crumbling local government system.

Sookan Matabeer of Foderville asked Mbeki to intervene over exorbitant fees that the council was charging for water and electricity.

“I am a pensioner, yet I pay R250 a month for water alone. When I include electricity and rates, it comes to R900 a month and that is all the pension that I earn. Please, Mr Mbeki, intervene and help us,” said Matabeer.

This article was originally published on page 1 of The Mercury on February 27, 2006

Source: Independent Online (IOL)
URL: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click…/p>