PEACE IS A PROCESS

King Goodwill Zwelithini's initiative to find a solution to KZN violence should be welcomed

Nhlanhla Mtaka

In the past three weeks, I have done several interviews with both electronic and print media about killings in KwaZulu-Natal that have been carelessly described as "political murder" or "political violence".  As I have argued in the media and on other platforms, there is always a danger in glorifying what, in my view, are clear acts of criminality.

One of the legal definitions of political murder is the unlawful use of force or violence against people or property in order to coerce or intimidate a government or the civilian population in furtherance of political or social objectives.  On the other hand, political violence is a common means used by people and governments around the world to achieve political goals.  Many groups and individuals believe that their political systems will never respond to their political demands. As a result, they believe that violence is not only justified but also necessary in order to achieve their political objectives.

If we agree with the above definitions, how does a murder orchestrated by a greedy tenderpreneur, who hires killers to remove a stumbling block to riches, become political? Granted, one understands that what is happening in our province triggers fears that KZN might be plunged back into the sad situation of the mid-eighties and late nineties. However, it is dangerous to misdiagnose the current situation.

So what is the real situation here? Is it true that since 1994 there has been peace in KwaZulu-Natal? Do people really believe that the absence of war means peace? That only parties in conflict can negotiate peace? Is it fair for commentators to blame "political murder and violence" on the police or the justice system, and is it possible to deploy police at party branch meetings so as to prevent intraparty killings, knowing that some killings happen during or just after such meetings? Can the deployment of soldiers in hostels solve the real problem, or are we suggesting that a hostel killing is worse than a township or rural killing, hence it requires military intervention? These are the questions we need to answer honestly without succumbing to political gimmicks.

What came closer to clarifying the developments in KwaZulu-Natal and finding a possible solution is the recently launched initiative by King Goodwill Zwelithini under the banner of the KwaZulu-Natal Public Peace Process. The launch followed the king's announcement last week that he had set in motion measures seeking to cajole all major stakeholders to work towards a lasting resolution of the current violent conflict.

It seems the king's initiative acknowledges that, first, peace is not an event but a process, that it has nothing to do with public relations and sponsored initiatives. In recent history, we have seen parties and governments all over the world reducing peace building to the signing of treaties and accords. Sadly, our recent history has proven that peace among institutions does not necessarily translate into citizen peace.

Second, the king's initiative correctly acknowledges that there is always a human dimension to conflict and peace building. That conflict is not just a clash of institutions and that it's not true that only parties in conflict should find a solution. In the case of KwaZulu-Natal, we hear three parties – the African National Congress, Inkatha Freedom Party and the National Freedom Party – talk about their exclusive meetings aimed at finding the solution. We even hear parties stipulating conditions for such exclusive meetings.

Lastly, the KwaZulu-Natal Public Peace initiative perhaps more importantly acknowledges that killings don't only affect political parties in conflict but also damage social cohesion, as well as the KwaZulu-Natal brand, thus affecting investment.  Attending the king's session last week confirms that one of the most important aspects of social, political and economic reconstruction is the ability and the willingness of communities to hold discussions in pursuit of finding meaningful and lasting solutions to existing problems. The key concept here is dialogue.

As was argued by the founder and president of the International Institute for Sustained Dialogue, Dr Harold H. Saunders, at the heart of the public peace process is "sustained dialogue" – a systematic, prolonged discussion among small groups of citizens committed to changing relationships, ending conflict and building peace. It is more structured than a good conversation, less structured than formal mediation or negotiation.

The question, therefore, is whether stakeholders in KwaZulu-Natal have the capacity to talk meaningfully in pursuit of lasting solutions to the existing challenge. The king's call should be welcomed as a window of opportunity.