Ethnicity as the Cause of Political Instability in South Africa

Abstract

Background: KwaZulu Natal has been a battlefield of political violence over the past few years in a democratic South Africa where many other provinces were no longer resolving their conflict through violence. This study aimed to find reasons why this province still experiences high levels of violence and the UMzimkhulu area was identified as the area of the study.

Objectives:the objective of this paper was to examine the public responses to ethnicity as the cause of political violence in the province of KwaZulu Natal at the UMzimkhulu area. Using descriptive analysis, we investigated the root cause of political violence inthe UMzimkhulu area. In a comprehensive analysis of the case ofthe UMzimkhulu area, we argued that to explain the causes of political violence, it was necessary to look into the type of people that are living in the area and their ethnic origin.

Method: in this paper, we applied a mixed research methodology, which is the Qualitative and quantitative research methods. Twenty-five questionnaires were successfully distributed to participants and responded to. Interviews were conducted with five participants.

Results: we found that the people that are living in the area are of a Xhosa tribe and a Zulu tribe, that alone created an identity conflict amongst the people. Twenty-five questionnaires were distributed to local community members and both tribes were represented, five interviews were conducted to both tribes.

Conclusion: the intervention of the police and political office bearers will always be temporal because the root cause of the political violence in the area is not addressed. Every local government elections will be characterized by political violence in the area unless the ethnic disparities are properly addressed.