Isandlwana, South Africa — The countdown has begun towards South Africas general elections expected to be held in March or April. And the spotlight is once again on the volatile province of KwaZulu Natal, which is notorious for politically-motivated violence - especially in the run up to polls.
Before the elections in 1994, 12, 000 people were killed in the province and, as ever, KwaZulu Natal looks set to become the focus of yet another political tussle. At the launch of its re-election bid on 11 January, the governing African National Congress vowed to wrest control of KwaZulu Natal for the first time from the rival Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), which dominates political power in the province.
Political leaders, including President Thabo Mbeki, have appealed for calm in KwaZulu Natal. On Saturday, the Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini echoed the call for peaceful elections, saying they should be contested through the ballot and not the bullet. But there are already signs of tension. Nine people were shot dead at the weekend in Umlazi township which has, in the past, seen clashes between supporters of the ANC and the IFP.
On Tuesday, the ANC announced that the deputy president, Jacob Zuma - himself a prominent Zulu - would hold talks, in the port city of Durban, with the partys provincial political rivals. Other reports said the two sides had already begun meeting, but had chosen not to talk to the media. But, in contradiction, the IFP has declined to confirm whether any discussions are taking place. After the political violence ahead of the 1994 poll, the ANC and Inkatha signed a fragile pact which held through the second democratic elections in 1999. KwaZulu Natal has been quieter since then.
When the IFP launched its election campaign on 18 January, the IFP leader - and South Africas home affairs minister - Mangosuthu Buthelezi, said his partys relationship with the ANC was "practically at zero." The ANCs provincial spokesman, Mtholephi Mthimkhulu was quoted by the French News Agency as agreeing with Buthelezi. "It is a fact that relations in KwaZulu Natal have gone to an all-time low and I dont want to lie to you and say it is not true, because it is true."
So, it is clear that political control of KwaZulu Natal will be fiercely contested in the build-up to the elections. But will that rivalry result in clashes and political violence or will the calls for peaceful campaigning be heeded? Thats one of the questions AllAfricas Ofeibea Quist-Arcton put to Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi. Can he guarantee peace in the province?
The ANC says it wants to wrest power from the IFP in KwaZulu Natal. It launched its re-election bid right here in the province. And I believe the IFP is unhappy that President Mbeki has not already announced an election date.
I am not annoyed. This is the prerogative of the president to do so. I have not expressed myself publicly or privately in that connection. As far as the other part of your question is concerned, the ANC has got a right to contest. They have done so twice before, unsuccessfully, which does not mean that they may not succeed this time or in future. That is what elections are about.
What is your party, the IFP, doing to make sure that your retain control of the province and do you think the ANC can beat you in the polls in KwaZulu Natal?
Well I am not a prophet, actually. On each occasion, the pollsters always predicted that we were going to be defeated, but we were not defeated. We were not defeated in 1994, inspite of all the so-called surveys and all the so-called analysts. We were not defeated in 1999. We were not defeated in the year 2000 in KwaZulu Natal, despite of all these predictions. But that doesnt mean to say that we must therefore be complacent and take for granted that we will always win, because it doesnt go like that.
Whats your gut feeling in 2004? Does Inkatha hold onto KwaZulu Natal?
I have no gut feelings. Gut feelings are those of prophets, I dont know.
As you know your province has the unfortunate reputation of being a violent one. There has been considerable pre-election violence in the past and politically-motivated violence. Do you think that 2004 can be a calm and peaceful election year here in KwaZulu Natal?
Well, Ive always been a man of peace. In fact, one of the places I wanted to go to on my visit in 1971 to the United States was to go to Atlanta, to pay my respects at the grave of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Ive always been a man of peace, inspite of the way our enemies have tried to portray us. I have never really - I have always believed that, in this country, we will only achieve our freedom through negotiations.
In fact, that is the reason why there were differences between me and the ANC, because the ANC said we would only achieve our freedom through the so-called armed struggle. And I said "no", it would be through negotiations. And then they portrayed me as a traitor for daring to say so. And of course, ultimately, they had to go to the table as I had predicted.
There are those who say that Mangosuthu Buthelezi was a prince of war in those days and that you were part of the problem which led to the violence in KwaZulu Natal -
Thats bullshit you see. Thats all I can say, because everyone who knows me knows that Im not a person of war.
So can we expect peaceful elections this year in KwaZulu Natal? What are you telling your supporters?
Does it depend on me? Let me tell you a story. The launch of my partys manifesto was on the 18th of the month. The launch of the ANC's was on the 11th of this month. We never did anything to interfere with their launch. But what did the ANC do? Prior to the launch of our manifesto, on the eve of it, the minister of transport here, Mr Ndebele, who is the leader of the ANC in this province, urged traffic officers to stop buses and cars going to our launch. We had to approach him to ask why he was doing this.
And the night before the launch, a car that was announcing my meeting was shot at - at the windscreen of a member of parliament, Mr Tshabalala, who is a member of the IFP. His car was shot out. Then, in another area where my people were boarding buses going to our launch, they were attacked by the ANC.
I come back to my question, do you think there can be peaceful elections here in KwaZulu Natal? What is your message to IFP supporters?
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At the launch of my manifesto, I actually made an appeal at the launch and said to my people - I quoted all the things you have heard which they are doing to us. And I said they should not be dragged into that violence. I announced it to tens of thousands of my followers.
And I actually even underscored what the president said (about peaceful and violence-free elections) when he launched the ANC manifesto in Pietermaritzburg. I said that I underscored that and that I totally agree with the president.
So can we look forward to violence-free elections?
No, I dont know, because I have no intention of being involved in violence. But Im just saying to you that you have already said that I am the prince of war.
No I didnt. People have said so in the past.
Who, who says that?
People have said for years that you were part of past problems in KwaZulu Natal.
Who are those people? But Im just showing you what happened about a week ago. Who is responsible for violence? Ive just told you that we never lifted a finger during the launch of the ANC manifesto, but just look at what they did with us.
So are you telling people who are members of your party to be peaceful? Is that what youre saying?
Ive always said so. Ive always believed in it, even when they went and got guns from the Soviet Union and all over the place, I never got guns.
