NUMBERING THE DEAD John Aitchison The course an . in the Natal i NUMBERING THE DEAD The course and pattern of political violence in the Natal Midlands, 1987–1989 by John Aitchison S F Natal Society Foundation Trust PIETERMARITZBURG 2015 ii Numbering The Dead. © John Aitchison 2015 First edition published in 2015 in Pietermaritzburg by the Trustees of The Natal Society Foundation under its imprint “Occasional Publications of The Natal Society Foundation”. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without reference to the publishers, the Trustees of The Natal Society Foundation, PO Box 11093, Dorpspruit 3206, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Natal Society Foundation website: http://www.natalia.org.za/ Editor: Christopher Merrett Assistant editors: Peter Croeser and Phila Mfundo Msimang Index: Christopher Merrett Design, layout and redrawing the graphs: Jo Marwick Redoing maps 3 and 5: Mbulisi Sibanda and Jo Marwick The Trustees of the NSF gratefully acknowledge permission by Mr Cedric Nunn to use his photograph “Funeral of two youths abducted and killed in Mpophomeni, Howick, 1987” on the cover. ISBN 978-09921766-3-1 iii CONTENTS List of maps, tables and graphs .................................................................. iv Abbreviations ............................................................................................. vi Maps .......................................................................................................... viii Selected list of individuals ......................................................................... xiii Foreword ................................................................................................... xv Preface ....................................................................................................... xix Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1 A story of what happened in the Natal Midlands ................. 7 Chapter 2 Events and incidents ............................................................. 47 Chapter 3 Damage and destruction ....................................................... 65 Chapter 4 Deaths ................................................................................... 83 Chapter 5 Analysing the conflict ........................................................... 103 Chapter 6 The interpreters ..................................................................... 129 Chapter 7 Causes ................................................................................... 163 Chapter 8 Features of an unofficial war ................................................ 205 Chapter 9 Senzani na? in whose interests? ........................................... 211 Chapter 10 Monitoring and monitoring methodology ............................ 213 Bibliography .............................................................................................. 243 Index .......................................................................................................... 265 iv LIST OF MAPS, TABLES AND GRAPHS Maps 1. Natal 2. Natal Midlands 3. Pietermaritzburg and Durban regions 4. Pietermaritzburg metropolitan region 5. Pietermaritzburg region Tables 1. Events and incidents of political violence and unrest, 1987−1989 2. Events and incidents of political violence and unrest, 1987 3. Events and incidents of political violence and unrest by month, 1987 4. Events of political violence by area, 1987 5. Events and incidents of political violence and unrest, 1988 6. Events and incidents of political violence and unrest by month, 1988 7. Events of political violence and unrest by area, 1988 8. Events and incidents of political violence and unrest, 1989 9. Events and incidents of political violence and unrest by month, 1989 10. Events of political violence and unrest by area, 1989 11. Affiliations known and unknown in unrest incidents, 1987−1989 12. Consequences of various types of political violence, 1987−1989 13. Deaths from political violence, 1980−1992 14. Murders in the Pietermaritzburg/Hammarsdale police district, 1986−1988 15. Deaths from criminal and unrest violence, 1986−1988 16. Deaths from political and factional violence, 1980−1986 17. Deaths from political and factional violence by area, 1980–1986 18. Incidents of political violence leading to death, 1987−1989 19. Deaths by area by year, 1987−1989 20. Deaths by month by affiliation, 1987 21. Deaths by area by month, 1987 22. Deaths by area by affiliation, 1987 23. Deaths by month by affiliation, 1988 24. Deaths by area by month, 1988 25. Deaths by area by affiliation, 1988 26. Deaths by month by affiliation, 1989 27. Deaths by area by month, 1989 28. Deaths by area by affiliation, 1989 29. UDF and Inkatha deaths, 1987−1989 30. Deaths by area by year, 1987−1989 31. Political party or organisation causing most good change, 1989 32. Political party or organisation causing least good change, 1989 33. Political party or organisation causing most/least good change, 1989 v Graphs 1. Events and incidents of political violence, 1987−1989 2. Incidents of political violence by affiliation, 1987−1989 3. Incidents of political violence by affiliation, 1987−1989 4. Incidents of political violence by affiliation, 1987 5. Incidents of political violence by affiliation, 1987 6. Events and incidents of political violence and unrest by month, 1987 7. Events of political violence by area, 1987 8. Incidents of political violence by affiliation, 1988 9. Incidents of political violence by affiliation, 1988 10. Events and incidents of political violence by month, 1988 11. Events of political violence and unrest by area, 1988 12. Incidents of political violence by affiliation, 1989 13. Incidents of political violence by affiliation, 1989 14. Events and incidents of political violence by month, 1989 15. Events of political violence and unrest by area, 1989 16. Deaths from political violence, 1980−1992 17. Deaths from criminal and unrest violence, 1986−1988 18. Deaths from political violence, 1987−1989 19. Incidents of political violence leading to death: 1987−1989 by affiliation 20. Incidents of political violence leading to death: 1987−1989 by affiliation 21. UDF and Inkatha deaths, 1987−1989 22. UDF and Inkatha deaths, 1987−1989 23. UDF and Inkatha deaths, 1987−1989 24. Pietermaritzburg region deaths by area, 1987−1989 25. Pietermaritzburg region deaths by area, 1987−1989 26. Deaths in the Hammarsdale and Pietermaritzburg regions, 1987−1989 27. Deaths in some rural areas, 1987−1989 28. New detentions per month, 1986−1989 29. Estimated detainee population: Natal Midlands, June 1986–June 1989 30. Detentions in three States of Emergency: Midlands and South Africa, 1986−1989 31. Detentions and deaths, 1986−1989 32. Deaths from political violence: Midlands and South Africa, 1985−1989 33. Deaths from political violence: Midlands and South Africa, 1985−1992 34. Metropolitan Africans’ political allegiance, PWV, 1977−1990 35. Metropolitan Africans’ political allegiance, Natal, 1977−1990 36. Distribution of ethnic groups within political tendencies, 1990 37. Distribution of ethnic groups within political tendencies, 1990 vi ABBREVIATIONS ADJ Association of Democratic Journalists ANC African National Congress ANC(EM) African National Congress (External Mission) ANCYL African National Congress Youth League AYO Ashdown Youth Organisation AZANYU Azanian National Youth Unity AZAPO Azanian Peoples Organisation AZASM Azanian Students Movement BCM Black Consciousness Movement CAB Complaints Adjudication Board CAE Centre for Adult Education CASE Community Agency for Social Enquiry CCB Civil Co-operation Bureau CODESA Conference for Democracy in South Africa CONTRALESA Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa COSAS Congress of South African Students COSATU Congress of South African Trade Unions DACOM Detainees Aid Committee DESCOM Detainees Support Committee DET Department of Education and Training DP Democratic Party DTA Democratic Turnhalle Alliance ECC Edendale Crisis Committee EDEYO Edendale Youth Organisation EMPSA Ecumenical Monitoring Programme in South Africa FOSATU Federation of South African Trade Unions HAYCO Hammarsdale Youth Organisation HRC Human Rights Commission HSRC Human Sciences Research Council HURIDOCS Human Rights Information and Documentation Systems International ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross IDASA Institute for a Democratic Alternative for South Africa IFP Inkatha Freedom Party ILEFO Independent Law Enforcement Facilitation Office IMSAA Independent Mediation Services of South Africa ISG Imbali Support Group ISU Internal Stability Unit IYB Inkatha Youth Brigade IYO Imbali Youth Organisation KZP KwaZulu Police LHR Lawyers for Human Rights vii LIC low-intensity conflict LRC Legal Resources Centre MAWU Metal and Allied Workers Union MDM Mass Democratic Movement MK Umkhonto we Sizwe NACTU National Council of Trade Unions NDM National Democratic Movement NECC National Education Crisis/Co-ordinating Committee NEHAWU National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union NIC Natal Indian Congress NIM Network of Independent Monitors NP National Party NPA National Peace Accord NUM National Union of Mineworkers NUMSA National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa PAC Pan Africanist Congress PCC Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Commerce PFP Progressive Federal Party PWV Pretoria/Witwatersrand/Vereeniging RENAMO Resistência Nacional Moçambicana (National