Survivors demand justice, reparations

ON THE 40th anniversary of the Inanda riots, survivors and leaders have called for a commission of inquiry, reparations, and a memorial to ensure the events are not forgotten.

- YOSHINI PERUMAL

They want the inquiry to uncover the cause of the violence and to determine if there was any “orchestration or negligence by the state or politicians”.

At the time, the unrest claimed three lives and displaced over 1 500 Indian families.

Last week, IFP councillor, Jonathan Annipen penned a piece in his personal capacity, calling for a commission of inquiry and reparations, so that the victims of the unrest could get justice.

Annipen said the riots were a part of history that had left an “indelible scar on our collective conscience”.

“What began as political and social tensions ignited into a blaze of violence which left three dead, more than 1 500 people displaced and homes, possessions and precious family heirlooms - accumulated over generations - destroyed.

“The horror is still etched in the memories of survivors. Families fled their burning homes in the dead of night, children clung to their parents in terror, and communities that had once coexisted in uneasy proximity suddenly found themselves torn apart by suspicion, anger, and mistrust," he said.

“The riots highlighted the dangers of racial polarisation and served as a warning of what could happen when inequality, racial division, and social tension are left unchecked. Sadly, the echoes of 1985 were heard again in the violence of July 2021, when communities turned on one another in an explosion of anger and desperation.

“We cannot afford to repeat this cycle. We must break it by addressing historical injustices and building a society based on equity, justice, and mutual respect. Confronting the past honestly is not about reopening wounds, but about ensuring that those wounds are properly healed."

He said although 40 years had passed, for survivors and their families, the pain remained as real as it was in 1985.