The eye of a violent storm: Inanda, 1985.
Abstract
In 1985 the United Democratic Front (UDF) was at the centre of country
wide protests against the apartheid state. In Durban community protests
were sparked by the assassination of UDF leader Victoria Mxenge. Across
the African townships from Umlazi to KwaMashu the symbols and agents
of apartheid were confronted. In Inanda these protests took a different turn
when Indian residents and traders were turned on which led to a large exodus
of Indians into the neighbouring township of Phoenix. Inanda then became
a battleground between Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) aligned warlords and
those associated with the UDF. This article looks at those events by seeking to
discern the different phases of the violence in Inanda, the participants in the
violence and the differing objectives. Through this analysis the article seeks
to offer both fresh insights as well as more directly addressing whether the
violence in Inanda was anti-apartheid or anti-Indian. The conclusion uses this
analysis to consider the present state of Indo-African relations.