POLITICAL VIOLENCE
INTRODUCTION:
Political violence in the South African context.
DEFINITION
POLITICAL VIOLENCE:
- Process that takes place between various groups/ categories of actors within a
political system.
- Political violence should not be limited to acts of rebels against the state but
should also apply to violent activities carried out by the state against the
citizens.
- Can also be defined as the infliction of physical harm on individuals or the threat
to do so, in the pursuit of some political goal.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
- Root cause of political violence in SA are located within the social environment
and the long history of ;
o Socio political oppression
o Exploitation
o Poverty
- The apartheid government denied the majority of its citizens access to central
political structures which resulted in racially based social inequality.
- To maintain inequality, racial superiority and social control, the state used
to following forms of organized violence:
o Detention without trial;
o Convictions;
o Banning of opposition groups;
o Suppression of protest marches;
o Sanctioned assassinations
- Opposing political groups resorted to an “armed struggle” (reviewed the benefit
of violence in pursuing their own ideological and political objectives)
- This form of violence, met with the brutal force of the state, resulted in rapid
growth of political violence.
- The crackdown of strikes and protest marches meant that these gatherings
became supporting occasions for mobilizing communities against the state.
- This led to violent confrontation between township residents and the security
forces.
- Many white people were isolated from the violence. In contrast, black people
were exposed to violence on a daily basis.
- AK-47 attacks and necklacing became weapons of death in every black
community.
- From 1984-1986: violence in the black townships escalated.
- The immediate trigger was the implementation of the tricameral
parliamentary system, which incorporated coloureds and Indians but
excluded black people
- The South African Defense Force (SADF) was deployed to control the violence in
the townships.
, - Since the beginning of 1990, there was an increase in selective assassinations
of members of opposition parties, such as the ANC (African National Congress)
and IFP ( Inkatka Freedom Party)
- Criminals took advantage of the political situation to commit acts of violence
under the cover of political motives. Particular areas of unrest were Boipatong,
Phola Park, Thokoza, Zonkiziswe, Mpumalanga, Trust Feed, Sebokeng,
Crossroads , Foweni and Bisho
- The high levels of uncertainty brought about by the political situation resulted in
increased militarization of communities.
- For self-protection, residents armed and organized themselves into paramilitary
structures.
- Factors that contributed to communities arming themselves were the illegal
trade in firearms and loss of confidence in the ability of the security forces to
protect them against the flood of violence
- The mistrust of the state’s formal institutions of law and order extended to the
criminal justice system. Communities lost faith in the effectiveness of the courts
to prosecute criminals
- As a result, the informal people’s courts multiplied and took law into their own
hands by conducting vigilante actions.
- The costs of the unrest were dramatic from both an economic point of view and
in terms of human lives.
- People felt unsafe , insecure and threatened, productivity dropped, dismissals
and unemployment increased, and the tourism industry was severely affected.
- Reasons why violence was still used in the political arena include:
o The failure of political parties to deal with the criminals in their
midst as well as not ensuring that illegal guns were surrendered.
o The culture of lawlessness of persons who had known links to
violence
DIFFERENT FORMS OF VIOLENCE:
1. Execution:
- SA used to be a world leader in enforcing the death penalty
- In the court case of Makwanyane and Other 1995 , the newly established
Constitutional Court found the death penalty to be unconstitutional
2. Death squads, assassinations and disappearances:
- Opponents of the apartheid system were often eliminated by death
squads.
- This was revealed during the trials of Dirk Coetzee and Eugene de Kock
- The purpose of police units (as the one stationed at Vlakplaaas) was to
eliminated the enemies of the South African Government at the time.
- Members of the ANC were eliminated by death squads and assassinations
Example is the assassination of Chris Hani in 1993
- The extent of the activities of death squads and the number of people who
“disappeared” became public during evidence presented by the victims or
the accused, who were applying for amnesty at the hearings of the Truth
and Reconciliation Commission.
21st century examples:
INTRODUCTION:
Political violence in the South African context.
DEFINITION
POLITICAL VIOLENCE:
- Process that takes place between various groups/ categories of actors within a
political system.
- Political violence should not be limited to acts of rebels against the state but
should also apply to violent activities carried out by the state against the
citizens.
- Can also be defined as the infliction of physical harm on individuals or the threat
to do so, in the pursuit of some political goal.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
- Root cause of political violence in SA are located within the social environment
and the long history of ;
o Socio political oppression
o Exploitation
o Poverty
- The apartheid government denied the majority of its citizens access to central
political structures which resulted in racially based social inequality.
- To maintain inequality, racial superiority and social control, the state used
to following forms of organized violence:
o Detention without trial;
o Convictions;
o Banning of opposition groups;
o Suppression of protest marches;
o Sanctioned assassinations
- Opposing political groups resorted to an “armed struggle” (reviewed the benefit
of violence in pursuing their own ideological and political objectives)
- This form of violence, met with the brutal force of the state, resulted in rapid
growth of political violence.
- The crackdown of strikes and protest marches meant that these gatherings
became supporting occasions for mobilizing communities against the state.
- This led to violent confrontation between township residents and the security
forces.
- Many white people were isolated from the violence. In contrast, black people
were exposed to violence on a daily basis.
- AK-47 attacks and necklacing became weapons of death in every black
community.
- From 1984-1986: violence in the black townships escalated.
- The immediate trigger was the implementation of the tricameral
parliamentary system, which incorporated coloureds and Indians but
excluded black people
- The South African Defense Force (SADF) was deployed to control the violence in
the townships.
, - Since the beginning of 1990, there was an increase in selective assassinations
of members of opposition parties, such as the ANC (African National Congress)
and IFP ( Inkatka Freedom Party)
- Criminals took advantage of the political situation to commit acts of violence
under the cover of political motives. Particular areas of unrest were Boipatong,
Phola Park, Thokoza, Zonkiziswe, Mpumalanga, Trust Feed, Sebokeng,
Crossroads , Foweni and Bisho
- The high levels of uncertainty brought about by the political situation resulted in
increased militarization of communities.
- For self-protection, residents armed and organized themselves into paramilitary
structures.
- Factors that contributed to communities arming themselves were the illegal
trade in firearms and loss of confidence in the ability of the security forces to
protect them against the flood of violence
- The mistrust of the state’s formal institutions of law and order extended to the
criminal justice system. Communities lost faith in the effectiveness of the courts
to prosecute criminals
- As a result, the informal people’s courts multiplied and took law into their own
hands by conducting vigilante actions.
- The costs of the unrest were dramatic from both an economic point of view and
in terms of human lives.
- People felt unsafe , insecure and threatened, productivity dropped, dismissals
and unemployment increased, and the tourism industry was severely affected.
- Reasons why violence was still used in the political arena include:
o The failure of political parties to deal with the criminals in their
midst as well as not ensuring that illegal guns were surrendered.
o The culture of lawlessness of persons who had known links to
violence
DIFFERENT FORMS OF VIOLENCE:
1. Execution:
- SA used to be a world leader in enforcing the death penalty
- In the court case of Makwanyane and Other 1995 , the newly established
Constitutional Court found the death penalty to be unconstitutional
2. Death squads, assassinations and disappearances:
- Opponents of the apartheid system were often eliminated by death
squads.
- This was revealed during the trials of Dirk Coetzee and Eugene de Kock
- The purpose of police units (as the one stationed at Vlakplaaas) was to
eliminated the enemies of the South African Government at the time.
- Members of the ANC were eliminated by death squads and assassinations
Example is the assassination of Chris Hani in 1993
- The extent of the activities of death squads and the number of people who
“disappeared” became public during evidence presented by the victims or
the accused, who were applying for amnesty at the hearings of the Truth
and Reconciliation Commission.
21st century examples:
