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.