Bongani Mthembu and Mpume Madlala
The deaths of two men, one shot six times from close range and the other shot in an ambush at a rally, has fuelled fears that a political storm brewing in the province could lead to a resurgence of political violence.
ANC and IFP leaders in KwaZulu-Natal have been urged to convene an emergency meeting after a member from each party in Durban was killed.
Bhekisisa Mthethwa, chairperson of the IFP branch at Jacobs Hostel, was shot dead at 4.30am at Montclair railway station on Saturday in what his party alleges was a politically motivated hit.
Police spokesperson Supt Muzi Mngomezulu said Mthethwa was shot three times in the head and three times in the body.
Later that afternoon ANC member Wonderboy Phelakho, 18, was shot and killed as ANC supporters left an election launch rally in Durban.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Danelia Veldhuizen said it was not immediately clear whether the shooting was politically motivated.
The MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Bheki Cele, was quick to point fingers at the IFP.
In a television interview on Saturday night, Cele said it was clear that shots had come from T-Section which is an IFP stronghold.
He said IFP supporters had been seen earlier carrying IFP flags in the vicinity of the scene. Cele said he would get a report from the police today and decide whether there is a need to set up a task team to investigate both murders.
IFP Provincial chairperson, Mntomuhle Khawula, said it was irresponsible for political parties to cast blame when people were killed.
"We must allow the police to do their work and stop pointing fingers. If an ANC member is killed it does not mean he or she is killed by the IFP," said Khawula.
The incidents happened at a time when the two parties were still engaged in talks, which mainly looked at ways of preventing violence during campaigns for the upcoming elections.
Sad
ANC provincial chairperson, Zweli Mkhize said it was sad people had lost their lives in the build-up to 2009's election, but would not be drawn on whether the incident was politically motivated.
"We have passed that stage where people were killed during election campaigns. We urge that there should not be no-go areas and we want the killers to be brought to book," said Mkhize.
Now the DA and Nadeco (National Democratic Convention) are calling for ANC and IFP leaders to convene an urgent meeting to prevent animosity between the two parties before it gets worse.
"I fear that the two incidents will create a lot of animosity between the parties.
"Blaming each other is what sparked violence in the past," said Nadeco president Reverend Hawu Mbatha.
The DA's Roger Burrows said it was extremely important that both leaders from the political parties hold talks and try to calm the situation down.
"We should not have the repetition of what happened during the 1980s and the 1990s. Political parties should be striving towards peace as we are approaching eight months of elections," Burrows said.
Political analyst Protus Madlala said it was too early to say that the shootings were related to political violence.
"This could be the work of criminals who have other agendas. The shooting of an IFP member in Montclair could be from within the party or from an opposition party."
He said it was common when elections were approaching that isolated shootings took place. "People from the same party fight for positions and sometimes they end up killing for them so it would not be right to conclude that the shooting come from opposition party's alone," said Madlala.
David Bruce, senior researcher for the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation said when killings involve people who are in politics, there is always the question of whether it was politically related.
"These could be isolated crimes or politically motivated. It is best that police attend to these incidents swiftly because it prevents any further violence. Peace depends on the political climate and how people react to these crimes," he said.
CSVR is a multi-disciplinary institute that seeks to understand and prevent violence, heal its effects and build sustainable peace at the community, national and regional levels.
