FROM CAMPUS TO COMMUNITY: PhD Graduate, Bongiwe Majola, Sheds Light on Protest Violence in eThekwini

Under pressure from a lack of service delivery, communities often resort to protest action to express frustration and attract attention of municipalities and political leaders. However, when protests turn violent, they frequently result in work stoppages and infrastructure damage - further hindering service delivery.

- Words: Jennene Naidu

Dr Bongiwe Majola, a recent PhD graduate, investigated the factors contributing to violence in community protests and explored potential strategies for mitigation.

Her study, ‘Understanding the Elements of Violence in South African Community Protest: A Case Study of eThekwini Municipality’ examines why relatively peaceful demonstrations frequently escalate into violent unrest.

Majola’s study sought to uncover the root causes of protest violence by examining how intially peaceful demonstrations escalate. It explored the social, political, economic, and institutional factors that drive this transformation.

“My study examined the social, political, economic, and institutional factors that push protests from peaceful to violent,” she explained. “I wanted to understand stakeholder perceptions, the triggers that spark violence, and the role municipal engagement and law enforcement play in this escalation’ said Majola.

Her findings revealed a sobering reality: protest violence is not random but is largely driven by systemic governance failures, socioeconomic inequality, unemployment, and limited engagement between communities and authorities.

Police brutality and inadequate responses from officials often acted as triggers, while criminal and political opportunism can further intensify the unrest.