POLICY BRIEF 64 | OCTOBER 2014 Political killings in South Africa The ultimate intimidation David Bruce Summary Recommendations This policy brief provides a summary of current information on the nature and extent of the problem of political killings in South Africa. There remains a need for better understanding of the problem of The province of KwaZulu-Natal accounts for the overwhelming majority political killings in South Africa, of these killings and in recent years these have been increasingly localised which could be enhanced by: to specific areas, such as the Umtshezi (Estcourt) municipal area, Ulundi A comprehensive analysis of and KwaMashu. Though Mpumalanga was also associated with these 1 the criminal justice response killings, there appear not to have been any in the province since early to the problem. 2011. Whereas during the apartheid period political killings took place Standardised data collection in a diversity of circumstances, they now tend to be targeted 2 on all possible political killings ‘assassinations’, though some also occur in other circumstances. and ongoing monitoring of the Available information suggests that less than 10% of these killings have criminal justice response to them. resulted in convictions. There is a need for in-depth research and a In-depth studies of specific better understanding both of the obstacles to a more effective criminal 3 localities such as the justice response, as well as why the problem continues. Umtshezi (Estcourt), Ulundi and KwaMashu hostel areas in order to understand the factors contributing to the continuing POLITICAL KILLINGS CONTINUE to be Related to this there is ongoing concern status of these areas as hotspots a feature of political life in South Africa.1 about these killings and why they still for political killings. In the post-apartheid period these killings continue in South Africa. More in-depth analysis have been concentrated in specific 4 into the political culture of provinces, notably KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Comparison with political KZN and how this differs from and to a lesser extent Mpumalanga. killings during apartheid other provinces. This might Though these killings seem to have During the apartheid period political also provide insight into why declined in Mpumalanga since 2010, violence and killings took multiple forms. the province makes such a there was a pronounced increase in the The circumstances in which deaths took disproportionate contribution number of these killings in KZN over place included numerous open clashes to the problem of political 2011 and 2012. Political killings in the between armed groups, massacres killings in South Africa. province have continued to be reported in which large numbers of people in 2013 and 2014. were killed, as well as killings during POLICY BRIEF_POL KILL_PROOF 5.indd 3 2014/11/03 5:45 AM POLICY BRIEF demonstrations, disappearances (where senior apartheid era government leaders people were killed after being abducted have claimed that they did not authorise and no trace of them could be found), the CCB or Vlakplaas units to act as incidents of ‘necklacing’ and others. ‘death squads’ it is clear that these units Violence reached its greatest levels of aimed to promote the government’s intensity during the period from 1990 agenda of suppressing resistance. to the final days before the April 1994 However, most current day political election, with 14 000 deaths in political killings appear to emanate from local violence during this period.2 conflicts and rivalries. Most current-day political killings appear to emanate from local conflicts and rivalries In post-apartheid South Africa, particularly There is no evidence that they fit in with from the late 1990s onwards, fatal a more widely shared agenda. political violence generally takes the form of what appears to be targeted killings Defining killings as political of specific individuals, often referred to For a killing to be ‘political’ it must as ‘assassinations’. It may also include be motivated by or connected to incidents where supporters of a political contestation or rivalry, either regarding party are killed not because of any position access to political power, or conflict over that they hold but as a way of intimidating the way in which the individual targeted members of that party in general. Targeted (or a group aligned with that individual), killings were also one dimension of is exercising his or her political power. political violence during the apartheid era In terms of a broad understanding with the full number believed to run to conflict, such as that between unions nearly 4003, more than 90% of which took or even between gangs, may be political place between 1985 and 1994. At that even if it is not linked to political parties. time they included killings outside South Politicians themselves may also be Africa and internally4 and included killings behind the killings of civilians who by members of government security they perceive to threaten their power. forces and by armed groups aligned However in this policy brief the focus is with the South African government. on killings of people who are associated with political parties. Some of the units that were involved in these assassinations, notably the South In some killings of political office bearers, African Defence Force’s Civil Cooperation or others who are linked to political Bureau (CCB) and a police unit based parties, it later emerges that the motive at the farm Vlakplaas, were exposed in for the killing was not political in nature. the early 1990s. Dulcie September, Rick Ultimately a killing cannot be classified Turner, Griffiths and Victoria Mxenge, as political unless one knows the motive Matthew Goniwe, Dr Fabian and Florence behind it. Unless the motive become Ribeiro,and David Webster were some clear (for instance through information of the more well known victims of these revealed at a trial) it would be more 14 000 killings. Forces linked to the liberation accurate to refer to killings of political THE NUMBER OF deaths that movements were also involved in killings office bearers or party members as OCCURRED AS A result OF of this kind.5 ‘suspected’ or ‘possible’ political killings. POLITICAL VIOLENCE BETWEEN Many of the apartheid era assassinations However the available evidence suggests 1990 AND THE ELECTIONS were aligned with a centrally defined that many of the killings of political office IN APRIL 1994 common agenda. Thus, even though bearers and individuals associated 2 POLITICAL KILLINGS IN SOUTH AFRICA POLICY BRIEF_POL KILL_PROOF 5.indd 4 2014/11/03 5:45 AM with political parties are indeed political From a process of scrutinising and Mpumalanga in nature and are not merely random verifying publicly available data on The other province that has been most criminal acts that coincidentally resulted political killings in press reports and strongly associated with political killings in the death of a politically connected other documentary sources it has has been Mpumalanga. Approximately person. There is therefore a substantial been possible to identify 54 incidents 14 people have died in political killings and continuing problem of political of political killings (some involve two in the province since 1998. Although killings in South Africa though every fatalities) in the period from January 2009 the problem has in some respects ‘possible’ political killing is not necessarily to May 2014 in KZN. In the period from been fairly persistent, the total number a political killing. 2006 to 2008 another seven killings were of deaths recorded represents a small identified, bringing the total to 61 fatal The phenomenon of political killings fraction of those recorded in KwaZulu- incidents involving a total of 70 fatalities. overlaps with, but is not synonymous Natal. Three of these killings took place Though the killings are widely distributed with that of the killing of anti-corruption in 2010. This was the highest number in KZN, there are specific localities whistle-blowers. Some political killings recorded in any one year. One killing such as Wembezi near Estcourt in the may target politicians who are involved was recorded in 2011 and none have northern Midlands that are associated in attempts to expose corruption occurred, or at least have received with a relatively large number of the perhaps authorised by other politicians public attention, since then. killings. The Ulundi and KwaMashu who are threatened by these efforts. Other provinces Hostel areas have accounted for seven However, other killings of whistle-blowers Political killings have also become of the 12 fatal incidents (resulting in do not target people connected to a prominent issue in North West in 14 deaths) in KwaZulu-Natal between political parties. recent years. Killings in North West January 2013 and May 2014. have included that of anti-corruption Distribution of political However information from political whistleblower and Rustenburg ANC killings in post-apartheid parties suggests that this total is not councillor Moss Phakoe in March 2009, South Africa comprehensive and that the total number and that of an ANC regional secretary, During much of the post-apartheid period of deaths in political killings in the period Obuti Chika, in December 2012. there has been no sustained monitoring from 2003 to 2013 numbers over 100 Shortly before Chika’s assassination of this phenomenon of political killings. with over 50% of this number having there was also an attempt on the life of As a result there is no comprehensive occurred over 2011 and 2012. One of the ANC provincial secretary. In June information on the problem. The picture the factors that sparked the increase 2014, there was an apparent attempt of political killings that is presented in in killings was clearly the launch of the on the life of a member of the this policy brief is based on recent research into the phenomenon.6 Other than during 2011 and 2012, the highest KwaZulu-Natal More than 90% of political killings in number of political killings in KwaZulu-Natal since post-apartheid South Africa have been 2003 was in 2009 in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).