South Africa's deadly politics: investigating the causes and consequences of political assassinations in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Province (1978-2019)

Abstract

The Kwa-Zulu Natal province is at the centre of attention regarding the prevalence of political assassinations. The province is termed as a killing field, where political assassinations are used as a method of political contestation. The assassination of politically active individuals in KZN is not a new phenomenon. Anti-Apartheid activists, local civilians, political party members, followers, and public office occupants have been victims of this violent event in remote times. Political assassinations have been an issue of concern in KZN for over four decades. Political assassinations in KZN are intertwined with other forms of provincial concerns, such as the assassination of local chiefs and violence in the taxi industry. This research project investigated the extent in which an assassination can be considered to be political and may be a form of political violence. The study also investigated the causes and consequences of political assassinations in the KZN province. The study searched for the reasons behind political assassinations in KZN in order to understand why such killings are mostly prevalent in this province. The research views political assassinations as a type of political violence. Given the fact that the KZN province is prone to such violence, the study then investigated how such assassinations affect government functioning and the social wellbeing in KZN. The study gathered qualitative data in an effort to address the research question on the reasons for and effects of such assassinations. The research was carried out as a desktop study, using existing publications to collect and analyse data. The study was informed by realism and the conflict theory, to understand the foundation on the regular occurrence of political assassinations in the province. The two theories explain the society and how it becomes violent, and how such violence shapes and affects society.