The names of all the victims of KwaZulu-Natal’s political violence will always be remembered after the unveiling of memorial stones and tomb stones.
The memorials were for the victims of two massacres which shook the country in Mahhehle (outside Ixopo) and Donnybrook in 1994 and 1996 respectively.
A total of 14 people were massacred in Mahhehle when attackers surprised founding members of the ANC in the area were in a meeting in one of the houses in the area.
In the 1996 Donnybrook Massacre, it was reported that the attackers who came in the night were on their way to assassinate an ANC activists who lives in the area but instead went into a house where there was a night vigil for a victim of an earlier killing.
The victims were shot as they fled, among them a mother with her two month old baby on her back. The bullet went through the mother and the baby, killing them, an indication that the intention was to leave no survivor, remarked Dr Mkhize.
“These memorial stones do not only record the names of the innocent victims of these ghastly acts, but they should serve as a reminder of the most gruesome atrocities that were visited on these communities.
“This should ensure that we always remember the price that was paid for our democracy, which is the blood of these innocent people. We should never take our freedom for granted,” said Dr Mkhize.
Dr Mkhize first met the families of the victims and discussed a number of issues including request from some families for assistance with job opportunities and the education of some of the children whose parents were killed in the massacre.
Dr Mkhize said it has taken a long time for the memorials to be erected, but thanked the families for their cooperation with government.
“These stones will mark our history, a history you will be able to tell to anyone who comes here and asks you what happened here. These are a reminder of the pain, the blood spilled in this province in such a way that some thought it would never end,”
said Dr Mkhize.
He said the families of the victims are still in pain and they still feel the pain even today when they talk about the incidents.
Dr Mkhize said the memorials are part of government’s drive to record the country’s recent history in the fight for liberation.
He said there are still many victims of the violence whose remains still have not been located and their families have never had a proper opportunity to mourn their loved ones.
Member of Parliament, Mr ME Magubane – who spoke on behalf of the MKMVA described the scene of the Mahhehle Massacre, saying it was the most gruesome scene he had even seen. He said among the victims was an Umkhonto WeSizwe soldier who lived at his house.
