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Inkatha and Its Use of the Zulu Past

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2014

Daphna Golan
Daphna Golan*
Affiliation:
Hebrew Univeristy
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Extract

Clashes between supporters of Inkatha and those of the ANC have resulted in the death of thousands of people in the last five years. The political death toll in 1990 was the highest South Africa has ever seen. While Inkatha, a Zulu-based movement, attempts to maintain the ethnic division enforced by the apartheid regime, the ANC is struggling for a non-ethnic and color-blind democracy and a political system elected on the basis of “one man, one vote.” Their struggle is about the future of South Africa, about sharing power and resources. It is also, however, about the past and the use of its symbols.

In this paper I look at the ways Inkatha has, since its formation, used the Zulu past to draw support, to achieve political gains, and to educate the youth in KwaZulu. I have used political speeches of Chief Gatsha Buthelezi, Inkatha's leader, as well as speeches by other key individuals in the movement, texts by the historians of the movement, novels written in the spirit of Inkatha, and most important, Inkatha textbooks on “good citizenship,” a subject introduced in all KwaZulu schools as a compulsory in 1978.

Type
Research Article
Information
History in Africa , Volume 18 , 1991 , pp. 113 - 126
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 1991

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References

Notes

1. S. M. E. Bengu, “Cultural Liberation,” Lecture No .4 at the University of Natal, Durban, 1977.

2. Inkatha constitution quoted in South Africa Institute of Race Relations, Information Sheet No. 1, 18 November 1977.

3. Musa Zondi, Chairman of Inkatha Youth Brigade, in an interview. Work in Progress 47, March 1987.

4. The museum houses some rare objects from the collections of the royal family, some of which were donated by Chief Buthelezi himself.

5. Sunday Times, 6 November 1983.

6. Washington Post, 15 June 1982, and 21 June 1984; Christian Science Monitor, 6 July 1982.

7. Ngubane, J., Ushaba-the Challenge of Blood River, (Washington, 1974).Google Scholar

8. In October 1946 circulation of the newspaper reached 7,000, perhaps the highest audience ever reached by an African-owned political newspaper. See Switzer, L. and Switzer, D., The Black Press in South. Africa and Lesotho (Boston, 1979), 43.Google Scholar

9. Ngubane, Ushaba, foreword.

10. M. G. Buthelezi, speech at the University of Stellenbosch, September 1971.

11. Interviews with black history teachers, Lamontville High School, 30 August , 10 September 1984, Lamontville.

12. Dingane is portrayed by Inkatha as a bad king since he killed Shaka.

13. Simon Maphalala, “The Black man's interpretation of South African History,” paper given at the University of Stellenbosch, 14 October 1981.

14. G.M. Buthelezi, “The Bias of Historical Analysis,” Opening address to the centennial of the Anglo-Zulu war. University of Natal, Durban, 7 February 1979.

15. Buthelezi refers to Davenport's Modern History of South Africa and claims that the author misanalyzes current black political trends, but it is not clear of which misconceptions Davenport is accused.

16. Buthelezi, “Bias of Historical Analysis.”

17. Maphalala is a lecturer in the department of history at Zululand University, and is a member of the central committee of Inkatha. From an interview at his house, 19 July 1984.

18. Maphalala, “Troubles in Umvoti division of the Natal Colony,” paper given at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 24 October 1984.

19. G. M. Buthelezi, on Shaka's day, 1979.

20. Chief Buthelezi's speech on Shaka's day at Stanger, 25 September 1982 .

21. Chief Buthelezi's speech on Shaka's day at Stanger, 24 September 1974.

22. The ceremony on Shaka's day was held for the first time by King Cyprian Bhekuzulu in 1954. It was a three-day ceremony when thousands of people came. Chief Buthelezi claimed to be responsible, at least partly for the success. See Temkin, Ben, GatshaButhelezi (New York, [1976]), 48–49.Google Scholar

23. G. M. Buthelezi, speech on Shaka's day, Stanger 1974.

24. Ngubane, J. K., “Shaka's Social, Political and Military ideas” in Burness, DonaldShaka King of the Zulus in African Literature, (Washington, 1976), 127-64.Google Scholar

25. O. Dhlomo, speech on Shaka's day, Stanger 1978.

26. Maphalala, “The Black man's interpretation of South African History.”

27. Ngubane, “Shaka's Social, Political and Military Ideas.”

28. UBuntu Botho, vol 2, ch. 2.

29. Inkatha syllabus, 6. Emphasis in original.

30. Students' Organizations Conference. Durban, 20-24 July 1984.

31. Student protesters at the University of Zululand in 1980 and 1983 attacked the Inkatha syllabus. Also my interviews with history teachers in Lamontville, and Pietermaritzburg (September 1984).

32. UBuntu Botho, book 1, unit 2, ch. 1.

33. UBuntu Botho, book 1, unit 2, ch. 1.

34. UBuntu Botho, book 1, unit 2, ch. 3.

35. UBuntu Botho, book 1, unit 2, ch. 4.

36. Buthelezi refers to KwaZulu as the last kingdom in South Africa together with Swaziland and Lesotho.

37. UBuntu Botho, book 1, unit 2, ch. 2.

38. UBuntu Botho, book 1, unit 2, ch. 2.

39. UBuntu Botho, book 1, unit 2 ch. 1.

40. UBuntu Botho, book 1, unit 2, ch. 1.

41. UBuntu Botho, book 2, unit 2.

42. UBuntu Botho, book 1, unit 2, ch. 3.

43. UBuntu Botho, book 1, unit 2, ch. 4.

44. Simon Maphalala, the historian of Inkatha, claims that the whole notion of Shaka's last words is but an invention of whites.

45. See, for example, the writing of Bryant, Morris, Stuart, and Omer-Cooper.

46. UBuntu Botho, book 1, unit 2.

47. UBuntu Botho, book 1, unit 2.

48. UBuntu Botho, book 1, unit 2.