Special Report Transcript Episode 48, Section 2, Time 13:10

‘ANC / IFP Conflict’ // There was a plan by the ANC, at that stage to assassinate Dr Buthelezi. With regard to that particular issue it is true that a unit of the ANC did at some point take a decision to carry out an operation of that kind. When the ANC headquarters found that out it counter mandate that decision and that operation was never carried out. It is also true Chairperson that especially the department of Military Intelligence made it its business to sustain the story that in fact there was an ANC decision to assassinate Dr Buthelezi when there wasn’t and did all manner of things to make sure that Dr Buthelezi was convinced of this so that they could take particular measures in response to what was then seen as a threat but which as I say Chairperson, a threat which in fact did not exist. I’m making the point Chairperson that we didn’t regard the IFP, its members as legitimate military targets and therefore at no stage were any decisions taken to attack the IFP as IFP. // I’m quite certain that the overwhelming majority of members of the IFP have never been involved in this violence, didn’t like it, didn’t want it, in much the same way that the overwhelming majority of members of the ANC would not want this violence. There wasn’t a situation in which two members of the ANC in KwaMashu, one member of the ANC one member of Inkatha, one stands up and says ‘I, member of the IFP, I’m in favour of a federal South Africa’ and this ANC one says ‘No, no, we don’t like this federation business, I’m in favour of a unitary South Africa.’ They disagree and then they draw guns on each other and shoot. No such thing. Organised gangs, political, were responsible for this violence.

Notes: Mass funeral; Thabo Mbeki

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