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The Smoke That Calls: Insurgent Citizenship, Collective Violence and the Struggle for a Place in the New South Africa

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The Smoke That Calls: Insurgent Citizenship, Collective Violence and the Struggle for a Place in the New South Africa CSVR Final Cover 7/6/11 1:36 PM Page 1 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K The smoke that calls Insurgent citizenship, collective violence and th violence citizenship, collective Insurgent Insurgent citizenship, collective violence and the struggle for a place in the new South Africa. in the new a place for and the struggle violence citizenship, collective Insurgent Insurgent citizenship, collective violence and the struggle for a place in the new South Africa. The smoke that calls that calls The smoke The smoke Eight case studies of community protest and xenophobic violence www.csvr.org.za www.swopinstitute.org.za Karl von Holdt, Malose Langa, Sepetla Molapo, Nomfundo Mogapi, Kindiza Ngubeni, Jacob Dlamini and Adele Kirsten Composite CSVR Final Cover 7/7/11 9:51 AM Page 2 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Published: July 2011 Copyright 2011 ® Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation | Society, Work and Development Institute The smoke that calls: Insurgent citizenship, collective violence and the struggle for a place in the new South Africa. Eight case studies of community protest and xenophobic violence Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation Society, Work and Development Institute 4th Floor, Braamfontein Centre, 23 Jorissen Street, Braamfontein Faculty of Humanities PO Box 30778, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2017 University of the Witwatersrand Tel: +27 (0) 11 403 5650 | Fax: +27 (0) 11 339 6785 Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050 Cape Town Office Tel: +27 (0) 11 717 4460 501 Premier Centre, 451 Main Road, Observatory, 7925 Tel: +27 (0) 21 447 3661 | Fax: +27 (0) 21 447 5356 email: [email protected] www.csvr.org.za www.swopinstitute.org.za Composite CSVR - Chapter 1 - 5 7/6/11 1:52 PM Page 1 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K The smoke that calls Insurgent citizenship, collective violence and the struggle for a place in the new South Africa. Eight case studies of community protest and xenophobic violence Karl von Holdt: Associate Professor - Director of SWOP, Commissioner - National Planning Commission Malose Langa: Community psychologist - Wits University & CSVR, PhD candidate Sepetla Molapo: PhD fellow - SWOP Nomfundo Mogapi: Clinical psychologist, Trauma & Transition Programme Manager - CSVR, Acting Executive Director - CSVR Kindiza Ngubeni: Senior community facilitator - CSVR Jacob Dlamini: Author, journalist, PhD candidate - Yale University Adele Kirsten: Violence prevention practitioner & public policy analyst, Executive Director - CSVR (2008 - 2010) July 2011 Composite CSVR - Chapter 1 - 5 7/7/11 9:18 AM Page 2 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Acknowledgements This innovative research project would not have been possible without the willing and engaged participation of community members across the eight sites. They provided the research team with invaluable information and rich insights into the current dilemmas and challenges facing poor communities across South Africa. The researchers were a dedicated and energetic team who explored creative approaches to gathering information and were mutually supportive of each other’s work: Jacob Dlamini, Malose Langa, Moloantoa Molaba, Sepetla Molapo, Kindiza Ngubeni, Hamadziripi Tamukamoyo, Malehoko Tshoedi, and Karl von Holdt. Trudy Ajibogun of CSVR and Christine Bischoff of SWOP ably provided some much-needed administrative support. Professor Jacklyn Cock needs special mention for being a catalyst and helping initiate the project. Her intellectual contribution throughout the duration of the project—from the first tentative idea mooted soon after the May 2008 xenophobic attacks to the publication of this report in July 2011— is highly appreciated. Lara Jacob for her rigorous editing of the sprawling text presented by the researchers. Sally Dore of Design Aid for her ability to meet unrealistic deadlines with equanimity, and for the creativity of her design. And finally a very big thank you to the donors—The Royal Norwegian Embassy and the C.S. Mott Foundation—for their enthusiastic support of this project and without whom this important work could not have been undertaken. Composite CSVR - Chapter 1 - 5 7/6/11 1:52 PM Page 3 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Contents Acknowledgements Acronyms and Abbreviations 1 Introduction 2 Overview: Insurgent citizenship and collective violence: analysis of case studies 5 Case Studies Voortrekker: The smoke that calls 33 Kungcatsha: Sending a message to the top 45 Azania: Violence is the only language that this governement knows 57 Slovoview: Citizenship, the Nation and collective violence in South Africa after Apartheid 70 Gladysville: Xenophobic violence in South Africa after Apartheid 83 Trouble: Mobilising against xenophobic attacks 97 Bokfontein: The nations are amazed 106 Collective violence and collective trauma: The traumatic past of Apartheid and the paradox of the new democracy 119 Recommendations 130 Bibliography 133 Composite CSVR - Chapter 1 - 5 7/6/11 1:52 PM Page 4 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Acronyms and Abbreviations ANC African National Congress BDF Bokfontein Development Forum CDW Community Development Workers CSVR Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation CG Concerned Group CPF Community Policing Forum COPE Congress of the People COSATU Congress of South African Trade Unions CT Collective Trauma CWP Community Work Programme DA Democratic Alliance DG Director-General DRA Displaced Residents Association DSMIII Diagnostic Statistical Manual III DUSA Democratic Union of South Africa EPWP Extended Public Works Programme FAWU Food and Allied Workers Union FET Further Education and Training IEC Independent Electoral Commission IFP Inkatha Freedom Party GCRO Gauteng City-Region Observatory MEC Member of Executive Council NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NIA National Intelligence Agency OW Organisational Workshop OWC Organisational Work Crew PAC Pan African Congress PASO Pan African Students Organisation PAYCO Pan African Youth Congress PEC Provincial Executive Committee PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder RDP Reconstruction and Development Programme REC Regional Executive Committee SANCO South African National Civics Organisation SACP South African Communist Party SDU Self-Defence Units SRC Student Representative Council SWOP Society Work and Development Institute TRC Truth and Reconcilation Commission UDM United Democratic Front VIP Very Important Person VVIP Very Very Important Person WHO World Health Organisation ZANU-PF Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front ZAPU Zimbabwe African People’s Union 1 Composite CSVR - Chapter 1 - 5 7/6/11 1:52 PM Page 5 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Introduction Project Leaders: Adele Kirsten and Karl von Holdt There are several innovations to the research projects captured in this report. Firstly, it consists of studies of both xenophobic violence and community protests, drawing the links both empirically as one of collective action spawns or mutates into another, and theoretically through the concept of insurgent citizenship (Holston, 2008). Secondly, the research was conceived of, and conducted, through a collaboration between an NGO, The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) and an academic research institute, the Society Work and Development Institute (SWOP) at University of the Witwatersrand. This brought together scholars and practitioners, psychologists and sociologists, in a challenging and productive partnership to try to understand collective violence and its underlying social dynamics. Thirdly, it combines an attempt to probe and understand the repertoires and meanings of collective violence with a wide-ranging analysis of local associational life, local politics and class formation. The origins of this research lay in the appalling violence of the wave of xenophobic attacks which swept across the country in May 2008, and the response of both organisations to this. CSVR was rapidly drawn into coordinating the relief work of NGOs across Gauteng, while in SWOP there was a sense that this violence connected to current research on strike violence and social precariousness. For both of our organisations, it seemed increasingly important to look at this outbreak of violence with a fresh eye for ways in which it challenged our understanding of the depths of anger, fragmentation, exclusion and violence in our society and, more specifically, the intervention practices which still drew much of their inspiration from the negotiated transition to democracy in South Africa. Ready assumptions about violence as pathological or criminal, about ‘lost generations’, about ‘community organisations’ and ‘civil society’, conflict mediation and educational workshops, needed to be tested with empirical research and new theoretical perspectives. While we were developing the research proposals and beginning discussions with potential funders, a new wave of conflict swept across the country, with the epicentre—as in the xenophobic violence—in Gauteng. The community protests against poor service delivery, corruption and the lack of consultation with communities by government often flared into violence between protesters and police, and not infrequently involved episodes of xenophobic violence as well. The research project was re-conceptualised to explore the differences and linkages between these different forms of collective action and violence and, with funding secured, researchers were in the field in late 2009. Our research methodology was designed to achieve the benefits both of in-depth qualitative research to explore the meanings, relationships and contestations within a specific research site, and the insights of
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