POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA

The report says political violence in South Africa is escalating, even compared to the states of emergency in the rnid-1980s or under the Botha administration. Efforts to stem the violence have included a National Peace Accord signed in September by the South African government, the African National Congress, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), and a number of other parties. Also, the government appointed a high-level commission of inquiry to investigate the violence, headed by Appellate Division Justice Richard Goldstone. The report says in February, The Africa Fund sent a representative to conduct an investigation on the violence; shortly thereafter, it launched a "Stop Apartheid's Violence" campaign designed to put pressure on the South African and U.S. governments. The report says 437 people were killed and 898 were injured during March 1992 alone. On average, 45 more people are currently being killed each month than in each month last year. The report discusses the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Chief Gatsha Buthelezi, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, President F.W. de Klerk, the U.S. State Department, Congress, human rights, the African National Congress (ANC), the United Democratic Front (UDF), Esikhawini, the KwaZulu Police, the South African Police, the South African Defence Force (SADF), the South African Council of Churches (SACC), Saul Tsotetsi, the Goldstone Commission, Chief Mhlabunzima Maphamulo, Mbongeni Khumalo, S'khumbuzu [Mbatha] Ngwenya, the Trust Feed case, the Joint Working Committee of Natal (JWC), the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), Johannes Dirk Coetzee, the South African Security Police, General Lothar Neethling, Jacques van der Merwe, the Civil Co-operation Bureau (CCB), Felix N dimene, the 5th Reconnaissance Commando, Henry Martin, Adriaan Maritz, the right wing Afrikaner group Orde Boerevolk (OB), Sipho Madlala, a township gang called the Black Cats, the Mkuze training camp, Steve Ngwenya, the Military Intelligence Unit, assassins, Nico Basson, Operation Agree, SWAPO, Natal Attorney General Mike Imber, Griffiths Mxenge, Justice Louis Harms, and the Harms Commission. • I. The statistics on political violence are staggering • II. There are numerous credible allegations that security force personnel have actively participated in attacks on township residents incited violence and managed the violence with a demonstrable bias in favor of the Inkatha Freedom Party. • III. The government has failed to impose an effective ban on dangerous weapons • IV. The government has failed to protect key witnesses prepared to testify against Inkatha or the security forces • V. Allegations of police failure to conduct proper investigations into attacks on victims not affiliated with Inkatha are also numerous • VI. Despite death threats, several former members of the security forces, Inkatha and Inkatha-affiliated gangs have gone public with admissions of their own involvement, under government orders or sponsorship, in assassinations of anti-apartheid activists and in efforts to destabilize life in the townships through violence and intimidation