STUDENTS HOSPITALIZED AFTER ANC AND IFP SUPPORTERS CLASH AT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DURBAN 000035 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR AF/S, INR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV SF SUBJECT: STUDENTS HOSPITALIZED AFTER ANC AND IFP SUPPORTERS CLASH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND REF: A) DURBAN 33; B) DURBAN 18 DURBAN 00000035 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Nine students at the University of Zululand (UZ) were hospitalized after clashes between student supporters of the African National Congress (ANC) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). Police officers have been deployed to UZ to curb any further violence. Political violence at UZ has occurred often over the years. The recent clashes at UZ reflect the intensity of ANC-IFP election campaigning in KwaZulu Natal (KZN),but no one expects the violence to reach the levels experienced in the past. End Summary. Students Hospitalized ¶2. (SBU) University spokesperson Dante Mashile told the Pol/Econ Assistant that on March 29 students belonging to the ANC-aligned South African Students Congress (SASCO) and IFP-aligned South African Democratic Students Movement (SADESMO) clashed at UZ, leaving nine students seriously injured. Mashile said students attacked and stabbed each other, while other students were thrown off dormitory balconies. Campus political tension began to build when ANC Youth League President Julius Malema visited UZ to campaign for the ANC on March 26, 2009. Local media reported that students believed to be members of SADESMO allegedly attacked Malema's car as he entered the UZ campus. SASCO members allegedly stabbed a SADESMO student in retaliation, which triggered the weekend clash. `Lack of political maturity between SASCO and SADESMO has reached a crisis point,' said Mashile. Mashile also told P/E Assistant that UZ was fortunate that no life had yet been lost due to student clashes. Police Deployed to UZ ¶3. (U) On March 31, ANC Provincial Minister of Safety and Security, Bheki Cele, and Provincial Commissioner of police, Hamilton Ngidi, met with UZ management and SASCO leaders. SADESMO boycotted the meeting, claiming that Cele was only interested in furthering the ANC's agenda and would not have been impartial. Cele described UZ as a `war zone' and said to local media that there was a need for police to devise new tactics to deal with UZ unrest. `The university is nothing but a Gaza Strip,' said Cele. Cele acknowledged that some of the violence at UZ was politically motivated, but said that police believe that some of the violence is also criminal in nature. Cele expressed confidence that the perpetrators would soon be arrested. ¶4. (U) Local media reported that UZ has been divided into two no-go areas: the west dormitory side, controlled by SASCO; and the east dormitory, controlled by SADESMO. Commissioner Ngidi's spokesperson, Phindi Radebe, told P/E Assistant that a police task force has been created to deal with violence at UZ. The task team will be made up of two teams: the proactive team, which will consist of uniformed officers deployed on campus; and the investigative team, based in Durban, which will be responsible for investigating violence. Mashile informed P/E Assistant that the university has already increased its security personnel on campus and frequent patrols are taking place day and night. Students Arrested, Campus Calm, Exams Postponed ¶5. (U) Seven UZ students were arrested on April 1 in connection with the campus violence. Radebe told P/E Assistant that the alleged perpetrators were apprehended on campus and appeared at the Mtunzini Magistrate Court on April 3. The university is now calm and classes are proceeding without any problems, although some departments have postponed their final exams until after the elections, IOL.co.za reported. History of Political Violence at UZ ¶6. (U) Since its establishment in 1960, serious violence has broken out several times at UZ as students and outside political groups jostled for influence on campus. The deadliest violent outbreak known as the Ongoye Massacre occurred on October, 29 1983 during which six students were killed and 100 students injured. The clash was triggered when ANC-aligned students opposed an attempt by IFP leader Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi and his Zulu warriors to use the campus for a ceremony to commemorate the death of Zulu King Cetshwayo. Since then, many on-campus clashes between student ANC and IFP supporters have taken place at the university, especially during student government elections. These disturbances have often led to the temporary closure of UZ. DURBAN 00000035 002.2 OF 002 IFP and ANC Leadership at UZ ¶7. (U) In the early 1970s, IFP President Prince Buthelezi was appointed to the ceremonial position of Chancellor of UZ. Buthelezi held this position until 2007 when he was replaced by ANC President Jacob Zuma. Many student IFP supporters were upset by Buthelezi's removal and this led to a confrontation with management. IFP and SADESMO accused university management of working with the ANC to undermine Buthelezi. Rachel Gumbi, Principal and Rector of the university, once had to hire private security to protect her from protesting students who wanted her dismissed. A local Zulu newspaper on April 2, 2009 reported that Gumbi asked the university to release her from her contract in June 2009. ANC Provincial Secretary, Senzo Mchunu, told P/E Assistant that he has been elected to the university council. The new Council is chaired by Bheki Ntuli, Chairperson of the ANC in the North Coast Region. ¶8. (SBU) Comment. The recent student clashes at UZ seem to be a political proxy war for the ANC and the IFP and reflect the intensity of campaigning through some parts of KZN. The upcoming Easter school break should quell the campus clashes, but violence will likely continue at hotspots throughout the province. While violence will not likely reach the levels of 1994 when thousands were killed (Ref A),the continued intimidation of voters, especially in rural areas, will weaken the still fragile democratic institutions that have been established in KZN (Ref B). End Comment. DERDERIAN