South Africa: Ramaphosa Praises KZN for Choosing Peace After Deadly Political Violence

President Cyril Ramaphosa told Reconciliation Day crowds that KwaZulu-Natal suffered terrible bloodshed during ANC and IFP clashes in the 1980s and 1990s.
Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli says violent village disputes continue in rural KwaZulu-Natal, often linked to stock theft and deep-rooted local grievances.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has praised the people of KwaZulu-Natal for choosing peace instead of seeking revenge after decades of violent political conflict.

Speaking at a Reconciliation Day event at the Ncome Museum in Nquthu, Ramaphosa reflected on the deadly clashes between African National Congress and Inkatha Freedom Party supporters in the 1980s and 1990s.

"This province, KwaZulu-Natal, knows this pain all too well," he said. "The people of this province experienced decades of political violence in the 1980s and 1990s that destroyed families and led to the loss of many lives."

Ramaphosa said despite the pain caused by the violence, South Africans chose peace and reconciliation when democracy arrived.

He said: "The majority of South Africans were victims of a political order that denied them their humanity, and yet at the dawn of democracy, they did not choose vengeance or retribution."

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli also spoke at the event. He warned that although political violence has decreased, rural areas in the province still suffer deadly conflicts.

"There are still inter-village wars in rural communities, especially in areas like Ulundi and Nongoma," he said.

Ntuli said some of these disputes are linked to stock theft and other unresolved grievances, and often lead to deadly clashes between villages.

He welcomed the presence of traditional leaders at the event and said more local dialogue is needed to end these conflicts.

"Reconciliation is not a single event or symbolic gesture," he said. "It is a continuous process that requires courage, leadership and the willingness of citizens to see one another as equals bound by a common destiny."

The Reconciliation Day ceremony was held at the historic site of the 1838 Battle of Blood River, where Zulu warriors clashed with Afrikaner forces.

Read the original article on Scrolla.