KWAZULU-Natal Premier, Senzo Mchunu, accompanied by members of parliament, visited Shobashobane in Ezinqoleni last Tuesday to remember the 19 people who died in the Shobashobane massacre in 1995.
The massacre took place on Christmas morning in 1995, when a group of about 600 armed men stormed the area, shot and hacked residents, and set alight about 90 homes.
“The attack was one of the major acts of politically motivated murders at the birth of our democracy,” said Premier Senzo Mchunu.
“When the country reached the new era of democracy, KwaZulu-Natal remained the only unliberated province and was engulfed by political violence,” he said.
The premier highlighted the fact that Shobashobane still had orphans and widows created by the violence which was sparked by tensions between the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the African National Congress (ANC) at the time.
“Some buildings damaged by the violence are still visible. I urge everyone to unite and work together to help communities heal from these wounds,” he said.
“Some families were displaced by the violence and still do not have homes, the government needs to provide houses and schools need to be built so that all children in the area can get proper education,” he said.
