Photo: iMaverick Graphic Johannesburg — Political killings in South Africa are not about political dominance but about getting to the trough first.
"Some of these guys literally come out of severe poverty and if they get kicked out they will be back there." said deputy CEO of the SA Institute of Race Relations Frans Cronje.
"The stakes are high... it's about money."
The number of politicians murdered the past five years has escalated, especially between 2010 and 2012.
KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga seem to be the worst affected -- with 41 and five killed respectively.
Around the country, at least 46 officials from various political parties have been gunned down around the country.
Cronje said: "Yes South Africa is a democracy... but I can't think of another country that has this problem.
"We [the institute] have been hard pressed to find a single person killed over an idea. It all depends on tenders and corruption."
He said the issue had been swept under the carpet for far too long and was something that would become very controversial in the next five years.
Historically, KwaZulu-Natal has been a test-bed since the late 80s, and to this day it is still seen as a political killing ground.
ANC KwaZulu-Natal secretary Sihle Zikalala said the party had quite a few officials killed in the last two years, but was difficult to pinpoint motives.
"We have called for serious interventions to crack all these cases. It's destabilising the party."
Zikalala said the ANC did not want to accuse another political party, especially not before a full investigation was conducted.
IFP MP Albert Mncwango said political tension in KwaZulu-Natal was because of the IFP breakaway group the National Freedom Party.
Mncwango said quite a number of councillors in his party had been killed the past five years.
"A rough figure, which is subject to verification, is around 10. We believe it was always politically motivated," he said.
"They took place especially around the Natal Midlands and these murders escalated when there were internal ructions which gave rise to the NFP."
Former IFP chairwoman Zanele Magwaza-Msibi and her backers launched the new opposition to the IFP in January 2011.
The NFP has said 22 of its members have been murdered since its launch.
Many of these murders had been blamed on the IFP. Mncwango said this was unfortunate.
"In all their murders, that they say are politically motivated, I can't think of any IFP member who has been apprehended."
NFP general secretary Nhlanhla Khubisa said the party had never blamed other political parties for the spate of murders.
"We say its politically motivated because it started immediately when the party was formed and of course in some cases there was some kind of political intolerance."
Khubisa did however say that it was not NFP members killing other NFP members. "We a threat to somebody, somewhere."
So is political intolerance in South Africa too high? According to Zikalala it is.
"It is a problem and the problem of political assassinations is a serious one," he said.
Mncwango said there was a new brand of political intolerance in the country. It was no longer about parties defending their political strongholds.
"We have a new kind of political intolerance which has to do with tenderpreneurship," he said.
"This is becoming a huge influence in politics and a source of internal ructions in parties."
Because the IFP was not running government it did not hand out tenders and so it had minimal infighting, said Mncwango.
Zikalala said the problem surrounding tenders could not be ruled out but that would form part of the ANC's investigation into the reason for political murders.
Khubisa said there needed to be a change of mind set amongst members of political parties across the political landscape.
"At some point some kind of political education is needed across all parties," he said.
Five politicians have also been murdered in Mpumalanga since 2007.
There have been allegations of a hit list circulating in the province which had the names of provincial politicians on it.
The list apparently targeted people who stood in the way of access to 2010 Soccer World Cup tenders.
It was said to be compiled, funded and executed by ANC members.
Two people, Jimmy Mohlala and Sammy Mpatlanyane, whose names were on the alleged hit list, had been murdered in 2009 and 2010.
Cronje concluded that ANC policy was killing off parts of the party.
"Look at the ANC... money has brought it to where it is."
Material gain, said Cronje, went hand in hand with politics.
This was especially true in a country such as South Africa where the previously poor were now in power.
"The fight for tenders is desperate," Cronje said.
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I'VE SEEN ALL THIS IN THE CARRIBEAN AND ITS THE PEOPLE THAT LOSES. AS AFRICANS THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE OWNERSHIP, OWNERSHIP OF LAND BUSINESSES CORPORATIONS AND MORE EDUCATTION.THE IDEA THAT POLITICS ALONE WILL ANSWER ALL THE PROBLEMS IS NOT TRUE. WHAT POLITICS SHOULD DO IS SHEPEARD THE MOVEMENT SO THAT THE MAJOURITY OF PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO ASSERTAIN STABILITY A MIDDLE INCOME FOOTHOLD IN LIFE. SOUTH AFRICA NEEDS TO BUILD FROM THE BOTTOM UP , WHAT HAPPENED TO SOUTH AFRICA YES THE POOR CAME AND SAW!!!!!... THEN THERE WAS MISERY; AFRICA HAS TO BUILD FROM THE BOTTOM UP THE TRUTH IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN LEFT A MESS TO CLEAN UP. THE EUROPEANS CAME THEY STOLE THEY MURDERED THEY TORTIRED KIDNAPPED RAPED PILLAGED PLUNDERED THEY MISRULES MISGUIDED MIS LED MIS ADJUDICATED WHAT THEY DI NOT NOT MIS WAS THE WEALTH AN RESOURCES" THEY TODAY WANT TO STILL DO ALL OF THE ABOVE THRU STEALTH'; SHOULD AFRICANS NOT STAND UNITED FORM STRONG COALLITIOS THAT WILL ENSURE THAT EVERY BIT OF RSOURCE THAT LEAVES AFRICA IS PINNED WITH THE NAME OF AN AFRICAN CHILD WHO ARE THE MAJOUR SHARE HOLDERS IN NATUREAL RESOURCES/ AFRICANS SHOULD NOW HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE HOW TO CUT GEMS REFINE OIL AND MINE FOR RESOURCES WITH THE SAME EQUAL KNOWLEDGE AS THOSE WHO COME INTO AFRICA SEEKING THESE RESOURCES. AFRICANSSHOULD HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE TO MAKE TOOLS MANUFACTURE EVERYTHING THAT IS NEEDED FOR CIVILIAN LIFE. FOR SOUTH AFRICANS TO URDER EACH OTHER INSTEAD OF SPREADING THE RHETTORIC OF THE REVOLUTION TO ALL AFRICANSA THEN IT IS SAD. AFRICA THE CONTINENT DOES NOT NEED TO BUY IMPORT BEG BORROW STEAL MURDER FOR ANYTHING. AFRICANS HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE GIFTS OF SELF PRESERVATION ; THE TRICKNOLOGY HAS BEEN TO CONCEAL THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS.SELF PROVIDING , IS AN ASSET FOR SELF DETERMINATION. GETTING READY MADE CASH IS LIKE BEING BOUGHT OUT; THIS MONEY IS WEAK AND IT IS NOT YOURS. WHAT I MEAN IS NOT SOMEHTING THAT YOU KNOW YOU EXCAVATED EXTRACTED REFINED CUT POLISH MANUFACTURED BUILT DISTRIBUTED AND WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THESE THINGS YOU BECAME EXUBERANT WITH JOY AND GREAT PLEASURE WHY ?? YOU DID FOR SELF!!! SCIENCE TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE IS WANTED, THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF MECHANISMS THAT ARE BEING ADDED TO TECHNOLOGY TODAY WE NEED TO GET IN AT THE STARTEING GATE WE HAVE AN ADVANTAGE WE SEE ALL THE MISTAKES OF ALL THOSE WHOM ARE FAILING AT THE MOMONET. TO EMULATE OR EVEN TRY TO CARBON COPY WHAT THEY DID OR ARE DOING WILL ONLY LEAD TO FAILURE AN DISASTER. SOUTH AFRICA FORGETS THAT WHNE THEY CAME TO POWER THEY OVERTHREW ONE OF EARTHS MOST WICKED AND CORRUPT REGIMES. THEIR PLANS SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN PHASES WITH THE ELEVATION OF THE MASSES AS THE PRINCIPLE GOALS. THEY WERE ALREADY TRHEW SOLDIERS THEY NEEDED TO MAINTAIN THIER DICPLINE THIER STRENGTHS AND MULTIPLYED THAT BY THOUSANDS. IT IS SURPRISING THAT SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTHS ARE NOT MORE RADICALISED WITH STRONG AND DETERMINED FACTORS IN PLACE THAT REWARDS GENIUS !!!REWARDING THE ASTUTE CHILDREN TESCHING THEM TO REACH FOR THE HEIGHEST HEIGHTS THE STRATASPHERE WHICH YOU ARE ENABLING WHERE YOU WERE UNABLE TO GO BECAUSE YOU ARE THE PILOT OF THE SHIP. ALL BLACK CHILDREN SHOULD HAVE BEEN LIFTED OUT OF POVERTY IN SOUTH AFRICA YEARS AGO. THERE WAS NOT COLLECTIVE PHASED IDEOLOGY TO ERADICATE THE POVERTY FROM THE FACE OF THE NATION AND THE SOUTHERN REGION FUL STOP. FIVE YEAR PLANE TEN YEAR PLANS SHOULD HAVE BE A FOCUSED IDEOLOGY THAT WOULD BE IMPLIMNETED WHOM SO EVER WAS IN GOVERNMENT. THE CHILDREN OF SOUTH AFRICA RAE STILL SUFFERING POVERTY DISEASES MIS RULE MIS GUIDANCE MIS EDUCATION THE SAME THING AS BEFORE WHY??? YOU HAVE NOT CHANGED THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT THAT WAS YOUR OPPRESSOR YOU JUST CHANGED HANDS WITH THOSE WHO WERE CORRUPT TO OBTAINING THIER POSITIONS AS THE COPPRESSOS. REVOLUTION MEANS RADICAL CHANGE YOU VOTE OUT THE OLD AND VOTE IN THE NEW. DEMOCARCY WITH TRUE SENSE OF REVOLUTION IS DEALTH WITH THROUGH THE MIND. THE ADVOCATION OF STABILITY PEACE IS PORFOUND THE NURTURING OF YOUR YOUTHS SO THEY CAN BECOME EVEN GREATER THAN YOU WERE. WHAT IS HAPPENING IN AFRICA TODAY IS THAT THERE IS PURPOSEFUL WILL FROM OUTSIDE TO KEEP ORU CHILDREN FROM JOINING THE DAVANTAGED CHILDREN ON THE PLANET. OUR CHILDREN ARE CONSTANTLY BEING EXPOSED TO CONFLICT MANUFACTURED CONFLICT NOT BONAFIDE BUTTHOSE WHICH ARE ALWAYS STEMMING FROM WESTERN ORGANISTATIONS THAT ARE FEEDING OFF AFRICANS LAB RATS INA EXPERIMENT. THEY CAN NOT GET ENOUGH SO THEY CREATE CONFLICTS USING THIER WIRCKED MINDS TO UNDERMINE GOVERNMENTS THEN THEY RUMOUR MONGER CREATING ALL SORTS OF CONFLICTS. THEIR MAIN STANCE IS TO KEEP THEMSELVES ON TOP OF THE AFRICAN MIND"" CAN YOU SIGHT THAT THEY WANT TO STAY ON TOP OF THE AFRICAN MIND !!..THEY MANIPULATE KEEPING POVERTY INHERENT THEY ALLOW FOR EDUCATION TO GO UNCHECKED THEY WORK WITH LAZY LEADERS WHO ONLY WORK FOR THEMSELVES THE SELF PRESERVATION IS NOT THE MINDSET OF THE REVOLUTIONARY IT IS NOOW THE MIND SET OF THHE SELFISH THE CORRUPT THE VEANAL HTOSE WHO ARE LIMITED IN PROSPECTS; SO THEY THEN GET AND TAKE WHAT THEY CAN WHILE DOING SO THEY ARE AIDING AND ABBETTING IN THE DESTRUCTION OF THE PRE REVOLUTION GIVING THOSE WITH THE MONEY AND THE POWER THE MAINTINING OF THE UPPER HAND PRESERVATION OF THE FORMER REGIME KEEPING THE MINDS OF THOSE IN POWER NOW LIMITED . LIMITS ARE PUT ON GOVERNMENST SO THEY LIMIT THIER OWN PEOPLE WITHOUT REALSING THEY ARE DOING SO MUCH HARM. THE DIEA OF UNITY AND FREE SPEECH OS TO REMIND THOSE WHO ARE THE HELM THAT MAYBE JUST MAYBE YOU ARE OFF COURSE? TAKE A LOOK , IT IS FOGGY !!". "WE NEED TO SLOW DOWN TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE BEFORE WE GO FURTHER"... REMEMBER CORRUPTION DESTROYS A NATION!!:: THESE ARE WORDS FROM YOUR ANCIENT FORE FATHERS. LSIETN TO WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND YOU IF YOU ARE CAUGHT UP INTHE MADNESS THENEXTRACATE YOURSELVES ; AFRICA HAS AN AGENDA TO FULFIL. WHOM SO EVER BECOMES ELECTED SHOULD DO LIKE THE NIGERIANS ARE DOING ,KEEPING A SCORE CARD FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SEE IF THEIR PROMISES THE WISHES OF THE ELECTORATE IS BEING FULFILLED. THIS 21ST CENTURY IS NOW WHERE WE ALL SHAKE OFF THE OLD COLONIAL MIS RULE WE STEP AWAY FFONTHIER IDENTITY THIS WE CAN SEE WILL GET US NOWHERE.SOME OF OUR LEADESRARE STILL ASLEEP HOW EVER WHAT IS TRUE IS THAT WHATY OUR FORMER MISRU;LERS WANT AND WHAT IS GOOD FRO AFRICA IS NOT THE SAME THINSG. WHANEVER YOU GO TO BED WITH THESE FELLOWS YOU END UP WITH DISEASES OR YOU BECOME MALIGANANT WITH CNACEROUS TUMOURS THAT WILL ALE FOR MANY DECADES. "FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED" AFRICA MUST LEARN FROM EACH OTHER TEACH EACH OTHER STEPPING UP WITH PRIDE STRENGTH DEFENDING THE PRINCIPLES OF A UNITED FORWARD THINKING AFRICA. PERSOANLITIES MUST REMAIN OTU OF POLITICS IF YOU WANT T BE RICH BECOME AN ECONOMIST AN ENGINEER A ARCHITECT ARCHAEOLOGIST SCIENTIST PHYCISISTMEDICAL DOCTOR LECTURER, THSE PROFESSIONS REAP MUCH MORE THAN POLITICS IF YOU ARE A PERSON FRO THE PEOPLE. THE PEOPLE WILL REWARD YOU WHEN THEY SEE HOW MUCH OF A PUBLIC SERVANT YOU TRULY ARE. WHEN WE SPEAK OF THE "ALL MIGHTY GOD" IT IS TIME OUR LEADERS IN AFRICA RECOGNISE THAT OUR ANCIENST WERE THE ONES THAT BROUGHT TO US THE IDEOLOGY THE THOUGHT AND THE KNOWLEDGE AND THEY WERE RIGHT IN ALL THEY HAVE SAID SO FAR. KING DAVID SPOKE TO THE "ALL MIGHTY " WHEN HE WAS IN NEED OF COUNCIL ; THIS IS NOT FAR REACHING YOUR INTELLECT HAS MANY MORE ASPECS WHEN IT IS APPLIED. RMEMBER THAT WE ARE A PART OF THIS GREAT AN MARVELOUS CREATION ,WHICH CONSIST OF THE PRINCIPLES AND PARTICLES THAT ARE "THE CREATORS OWN SELF" "HE" IS CREATOR OF HIMSELF AND FROMHIM CAME EVERYTHING ELSE; WE HAVE THE ELEMENTS OF THE UNIVERSE WITHIN OUR BEINGS. OUR ANCIENST WERE THE GREATEST OF ALL BEINSG THEY LIVED FOR THOUSANDS OR YEARS THEY WERE STILL FERTILE AT 300 ETC , WE ARE NOT THE DECENDANTS OF APES AND MONKEYS WE ARE THE CREATORS GREATEST CREATION. WE ARE MUCH MORE THAN WE KNOW WHAT I SAY TO YOU IS THAT THERE IS NO NEED FOR CORRUPTION , "OUR LORD" WILL REWARD THOSE WHOM HE SEES ARE WORHTY . TO CAT IN THE WAYS OF "OUR LORD" WHICH IS CHARITABLE A GIVER A COMPASSIONATE A BENEVOLENT THESE AERE SOME OF THE ATTRIBUTES THAT WE AS ALL AFRICANS SHOULD POSSESS, WHEN WE DONT KNOW THESE THINSGW E MUST LEARNA AND PASS THEM ON TO OUR CHILDREN. SOUTH AFRICA TODAY IS TAKING ME UP ON MY OFFER FINDING CIVILIZATIONS THAT THEY ARE NOW SAYING GOES BACK 40 THOUSAND YEARS WHAT I SAY TO YOU IS THAT THE EARTH WAS NOT AS PLENTIFUL AS IT IS TODAY SO THE PEOPLE WERE AWARE OF ALL OTHER PEOPLE AFRICA IS ANCIENT IT GOES SO FAR INTO THE PAST IT CAN NOT BE COUINTED AND YOU WONT FIND MONKEY ANY WHERE IN OUR LIVES. WHAT YOU WILL FIND IS GREAT CIVILIZATIONS WTH MANIFESTATIONS OF GENIUS AND GROOUND BREAKING OVERTAKINGS. THOSE WHOM THEY CHOOSE TO OUTLINE MAY HAVE PREFERD TO LIVE THIS WAY BECAUSE THEY FELT THIS WAS MORE SUITABLE TO ENJOY THE PLANET AND WHAT IT OFFRED. THERE WERE NO GRETA DESERTS IN THE TIMES OF OUR GREAT CULTURE SWHICH STRRETCHED FROM THE ENTIRE MED THE ENTIRE CONTINENT ANDF LATER THE WORLD AT LARGE. THE SAND PEOPLE IN CHINA ARE THE SAME I AM SURE THY RESEMBLE EVEN HTE GREAT MANDELA LOOKS LIKE THE CHINESE. AGAIN UNTIL NOT SO LONG AGO THE PHILIPINES CAMBODIA WERE PLACES THAT WERE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENTS THAILAND ARE ALL PREDECESORS OF AFRICAN CULTURE. WE SEE AFRICA IN' PAPAUU NEW GUINEA ,WE ALSO SEE THE AFRICAN AUSTRALOID IN AUSTRALIA THEY WERE PREEMEINENT IN ASIA AND THEY TOO WERE IN NORHT AMERICA ALONG WITH THE AFRICANS WHO BUIL MONUMENATL EMPIRES WHERE TODAY THEY CLAIM WERE BUILT BY ALIENS. THE MENTALITY OF OUR AFRICAN FOREFATHRES ARE THAT OF THE GRETAEST THAT WALKED THE PLANET. WHY I SAY THIS IS THAT THEY CANOT BE DUPLICATED NOR EMULATED BECAUSE WE ARESTILL HERE; WE ARE THE TRUTH THE REALITY WE MUST TAKE UP THE BATON AND SHOW THE WORLD WQHO WE ARE. ANCIENT AFRICANS HAVE NOT LEFT A LEGACY OF DEATH DESTRUCTION WHY BECAUSE WE ARE TEACHERS WE ARE INVENTORE SCIENTIST WE KNOW RIGHT FROM WRONG W BY RIGHT HAVE NOT BEEN MORRALY BANKRUPT WE HAVE BEEN MORALIST RIGHTEOUSS TEACHERS WARNERS SPEAKING OF THE GIFTS OF L;IFE AND WHAT WE CAN EARN IF WE WALK A CERTAIN PATH. WE HAVE TAUGHT THAT 'HIM ALON'E DO WE OWE OUR GLORY FOR "HE ALONE IS WORTHY OF PRAISING""" !!!!!!!!! MY BROTHERS DO NOT STUMBLE BY THE WAYSIDE THERE IS MUCH THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED AND THIS IS OUR TIME; WE MUST STAND FIRM STAND UNITED STAY AWAY FROM CORRUPTION THESE THINGS LEAD TO DEATH CONFLICT BLOOD LETTING AND THERE IS NO GLORY IN SUCH PRACTISES."PRAISE GOD AN LIVE" IT WAS THE TEACHINGS OF OUR FORE FATHERS THEY HAVE NOT LED US ASTRAT YET BELIVE TRUST INTHE "ONE GOD" NO DILUTION NO WESTERN INFLUINCE WHAT THEY AHVE DONE IS CORRUPTED ALL OUR TEACHINGS MAKING IT THIER OWN PLAGIARISM FRAUD ITS ALL THE SAME THING!!!!!!!