South African Police officers prepare a response to random gunfire as IFP protesters flee during what would become known as the Shell House massacre. 28 March 1994, South Africa [1469×980]
South African Police officers prepare a response to random gunfire as IFP protesters flee during what would become known as the Shell House massacre. 28 March 1994, South Africa [1469×980]
> On 28 March 1994, about 20,000 Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) supporters marched to Shell House (ANC headquarters) in protest against the 1994 elections that the IFP was intending to boycott.
> The ANC people opened fire, killing nineteen people. At the time, ANC guards claimed that the IFP supporters were storming the building or that a tip-off had been received of that being planned.
> The Nugent Commission of Inquiry into the killings rejected that explanation. The commission’s conclusion was that the shooting by ANC guards was unjustified.
> The incident reflected the rising tensions between the ANC and IFP, which had begun in the 1980s in KwaZulu-Natal and had then spread to other provinces in the 1990s. The IFP claimed that the ANC was intent on undermining traditional authorities and the power of Zulu chiefs; the ANC saw a power struggle as the demise of apartheid was finalized.
> Nelson Mandela gave the order to defend Shell House even if it required violence.
The IFP and ANC had been infighting since the 1980s, and by ’94 the supporters of both parties were killing each other en masse, with the government security forces attempting to stop it from happening. By some bloody miracle, less than two weeks before the elections were to take place, the leader of the IFP announced that they would participate in the elections. This resulted in the millions of ballot sheets (which had already been printed) being manually given bar stickers at the bottom to include the IFP, and more importantly, it prevented a civil war breaking out between the Zulus and everyone else.
1 Comment
> On 28 March 1994, about 20,000 Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) supporters marched to Shell House (ANC headquarters) in protest against the 1994 elections that the IFP was intending to boycott.
> The ANC people opened fire, killing nineteen people. At the time, ANC guards claimed that the IFP supporters were storming the building or that a tip-off had been received of that being planned.
> The Nugent Commission of Inquiry into the killings rejected that explanation. The commission’s conclusion was that the shooting by ANC guards was unjustified.
> The incident reflected the rising tensions between the ANC and IFP, which had begun in the 1980s in KwaZulu-Natal and had then spread to other provinces in the 1990s. The IFP claimed that the ANC was intent on undermining traditional authorities and the power of Zulu chiefs; the ANC saw a power struggle as the demise of apartheid was finalized.
> Nelson Mandela gave the order to defend Shell House even if it required violence.
The IFP and ANC had been infighting since the 1980s, and by ’94 the supporters of both parties were killing each other en masse, with the government security forces attempting to stop it from happening. By some bloody miracle, less than two weeks before the elections were to take place, the leader of the IFP announced that they would participate in the elections. This resulted in the millions of ballot sheets (which had already been printed) being manually given bar stickers at the bottom to include the IFP, and more importantly, it prevented a civil war breaking out between the Zulus and everyone else.