Africana Periodical Literature 
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| Title: | Indians versus Russians: an oral history of the political violence in Nxamalala (1987-1992) |
| Author: | Denis, Philippe |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Periodical: | Journal of Natal and Zulu History |
| Volume: | 24-25 |
| Pages: | 64-94 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | South Africa |
| Subjects: | political violence stereotypes African National Congress (South Africa) United Democratic Front Inkatha Freedom Party |
| Abstract: | Twelve thousand people lost their lives between 1985 and 1996 in the Natal province and the KwaZulu homeland of South Africa as a result of the conflict between the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the African National Congress (ANC), on the one hand, and the Zulu traditional movement Inkatha (renamed Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in 1990), on the other hand. Based on the results of an oral history project conducted between 2003 and 2007, this paper examines the impact of this political violence on community and family life, women and children in particular, in Nxamalala, a semi-rural community in the Vulindlela area, which lost 526 people between 1987 and 1989. According to the collected testimonies, a key element of explanation is the labelling process at work during the conflict. Two territories, clearly demarcated, emerged as politically and culturally different and each side came to see the other as the enemy. On the one side Mthoqotho and on the other side Bhobhonono, Nqabeni and Imbubu. The labels given to the enemy - 'Indians' for the UDF and ANC sympathizers and 'Russians' for the people paying allegiance to Inkatha - contributed to their dehumanization: former neighbours and friends were dangerous people who deserved to be killed. Notes, ref., online sum. [ASC Leiden abstract] |