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Home→South African News→eNCA | Political violence inherited from apartheid era: Zikalala

eNCA | Political violence inherited from apartheid era: Zikalala

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JOHANNESBURG – The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is blaming apartheid and colonialism for the violence in the province.

Chairperson Sihle Zikalala told the Moerane commission of inquiry into political killings on Thursday that a culture of violence is ingrained in communities of that era.

“The ANC wishes to caution against and dispute the view that the killings are the ANC’s problem alone. It is our submission to this commission that these killings are a broader societal problem, one that was inherited from our past apartheid colonialism era whose legacy lingers until this day,” he said.

Nineteen ANC members have been murdered in KwaZulu-Natal since January last year, Zikalala said.

By contrast, other parties collectively have lost 10 members in that time.

READ: 61 arrests, no convictions in KZN political killings: MEC

Zikalala alluded to forces outside the ANC that might be taking advantage of political tensions in the province.

Over the past few months, several witnesses at the commission have blamed the ANC death toll on infighting.

Former premier Senzo Mchunu — the political rival of Zikalala — last month laid bare details of factionalism and corruption within the party.

Zikalala alluded to this, saying: “Those who are in the ANC have not only sought to speak with authority on so-called internal weaknesses and squabbles in the ANC, but have also in the process tried to insulate themselves and posture either as victims or messiahs.”

But he insisted his representation to the commission was not a response to anyone else’s submissions.

Zikalala nevertheless conceded that contestation for power, inter-political conflict and careerism were feeding the violence.

eNCA

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