VZCZCXRO8512
RR RUEHBZ RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHDU #0068/01 1660736
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 150736Z JUN 09
FM AMCONSUL DURBAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1474
INFO RUCNSAD/SADC COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 0849

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DURBAN 000068 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR AF/S, INR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SF PGOV
SUBJECT: ANC, IFP, AND COPE BLAME EACH OTHER FOR RECENT KZN VIOLENCE 
 
DURBAN 00000068  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.      (SBU)  Summary.  The recent spate of violence in KwaZulu 
Natal (KZN) may be politically motivated but it is too soon to 
tell.  Defeated political parties in KZN are still smarting from 
major losses in the province during the recent national election 
and may be unfairly placing the blame on the African National 
Congress (ANC).  End Summary. 
 
 
 
IFP and ANC Clash 
 
 
 
¶2.      (SBU) Thembinkosi Malunga, an ANC councilor in the 
Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP)-led Umzinyathi District Municipality 
(Dundee), was killed near his party's office in Greytown on June 
¶7.  Local media reported that Malunga's murder may have been 
carried out by the IFP in retaliation for the murder of Umvoti 
(Greytown) Municipality councilor Ntuthuko Ngcobo, who was 
ambushed on his way home two weeks ago.  Local Police 
Spokesperson Henry Budhram said the motive for the killing is 
not yet known, but police are investigating and following 
important leads.  Local ANC leader Philani Mavundla told local 
media that his party is not surprised by the killing as it 
happened soon after Ngcobo's funeral.  `It is clear that 
Malunga's killing was a revenge attack,' said Mavundla.  Mayor 
of the IFP-led Umvoti Municipality Petros Ngubane said that 
Ngcobo was murdered because he had refused to defect to the ANC. 
 Ngubane alleged that  the ANC has been on a campaign to buy off 
IFP councilors so that the ANC can take control of the 
municipality.  IFP National Organizer and parliamentarian Albert 
Mncwango denied the allegation and said that the IFP will allow 
the police to make their investigations in both the killings and 
will not point fingers until the investigations are complete and 
suspects arrested.  Tensions remain high in Greytown and area 
leaders have called on the police to monitor the situation.  ANC 
Provincial Spokesperson Nomfundo Mcetshwa told the Pol/Econ 
Assistant that the ANC is concerned about the situation in 
Greytown and its top leadership will meet this week to discuss 
the situation. 
 
 
 
ANC and Congress of the People (COPE) Clash 
 
 
 
¶3.      (U) Police are monitoring Glebelands Hostel in a 
township outside Durban after an ANC gathering on June 6 turned 
violent.  Several people were wounded when police fired tear 
gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades to disperse the crowd. 
ANC chairman of eThekwini region said the protest at the hostel 
was not a political event, but had been staged by residents 
demonstrating against crime.  COPE provincial secretary Philip 
Mhlongo, however, said that the incident was indeed political in 
nature and that the attack at Glebelands was `clearly targeting 
COPE.'  A COPE member who was shot alleged that an assassin had 
been hired by the ANC to kill him.  The man is reported to have 
opened fire in self-defense and injured one of his attackers in 
the knee and shoulder.  Interim KZN ANC Chairperson Sihle 
Zikalala denied any involvement in the shooting, and police 
could not link the shooting to political intolerance. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) P/E Assistant witnessed the Glebelands incident and 
reports that tensions began to flare when Zuma t-shirt-clad ANC 
members who brandished traditional weapons prevented COPE 
Parliamentary Leader Mvume Dandala and other COPE provincial 
leaders from entering the hostel to meet with COPE members. 
Dandala and his delegation were forced to cancel their meeting 
at the hostel and instead met with police and ANC leaders at a 
police station to discuss the situation.  COPE provincial 
secretary Phillip Mhlongo told the Pol/Econ Assistant that ANC 
leaders had not shown up for the scheduled meeting at the hostel 
as planned.  Mhlongo accused ANC members in the hostel of 
attacking and expelling COPE members from the residence. 
Mhlongo also told the Pol/Econ Assistant that several COPE 
members at the hostel have been attacked by ANC members since 
the April 22 general election.  Mhlongo also said one of their 
female members at the hostel was assaulted by ANC members and 
forced to parade naked around the hostel. Mhlongo further 
revealed that COPE had received a tip from the local police 
intelligence unit warning them that ANC members might be hiding 
weapons at the hostel.  In a statement released by COPE on June 
6 , Mhlongo called on President Zuma to intervene and call on 
ANC members in Glebelands hostel to stop attacking COPE members. 
 
DURBAN 00000068  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 Mhlongo also threatened that should attacks on their members 
not cease, they will be forced to defend themselves against ANC 
members. 
 
 
 
ANC Member Killed 
 
 
 
¶5.      (SBU) ANC member and school teacher Ntombi Busisiwe 
Simelane was killed in her home in Nongoma on June 9, reported 
ANC Provincial Secretary Sihle Zikalala to Pol/Econ Assistant. 
The ANC announced in a press statement that another party 
member, Bafanyana Seme, is in critical condition after being 
shot during a spate of attacks in Nongoma on June 9.  IFP 
Provincial Secretary Bonginkosi Buthelezi, however, told a 
national radio station on June 10 that Simelane was in fact a 
member of IFP and criticized the ANC for claiming the deceased 
as its member. It is not clear at this point to which, if any, 
political party she belonged. 
 
 
 
¶6. (U) Police spokesperson and Superintendent Jay Naicker 
confirmed the attacks in Nongoma but said the motives for the 
attacks are still unknown.  Naicker noted that police are, in 
fact, investigating one murder and two attempted murders.  In a 
media statement, the ANC noted that these attacks came soon 
after the killing of its Greytown councilor.  `We are now 
convinced that our members are under attack from unscrupulous 
individuals who are not pleased with the inroads the ANC has 
made in `no go areas' in KZN.' 
 
 
 
Comment 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) IFP and COPE members are still smarting from their 
losses to the ANC in KZN during the recent election and may be 
exaggerating the extent to which ANC is responsible for the 
recent violence.  None of the Consulate's contacts can confirm 
any intention on the part of the ANC to instigate violence 
against any political parties. 
SYKES