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Durban riots

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The Durban riots refers to unrests that took place between 13–15 January 1949, primarily between Zulu and Indian people in Durban, South Africa.

 The consequent loss of life and property was officially given as follows: deaths; 142 (87 Africans, 50 Indians, 1 white and 4 others whose identity could not be determined); injured; 1 087 (541 Africans, 503 Indians, 11 Coloureds and 32 whites; of the injured 58 died); buildings destroyed: 1 factory, 58 stores and 247 dwellings; buildings damaged: 2 factories, 652 stores and 1 285 dwellings.

Thursday riots

On 13 January 1949 an Indian store-keeper in central Durban assaulted an African youth. This incident resulted in a wave of violence, starting at the Indian market and soon spread throughout the suburbs of Durban and reached Pietermaritzburg by 19 January.

Friday riots

On Friday, African leaders from Cato Manor organized rioters from workers' hostels and from social networks such as the ingoma dancing troupes and boxing clubs. Taking advantage of the slow police intervention, the assailants attacked the Indian business area with an assortment of improvised weapons, attacking both property and people. Numerous reports suggest that European whites cheered the African assailants and joined in looting Indian stores. Donald L. Horowitz notes in his book, The Deadly Ethnic Riot: "A number of European women urged the Natives [Africans] on to 'hit the coolies [Indians]'. Thereafter they went dancing up the street with the Natives. The pictorial record shows Europeans actively inciting the Natives, or evincing all the signs of enjoyment at their excesses."[1]

By early evening the government troops blockaded the Indian district in central Durban after which the focus of assaults shifted to the suburban areas of Cato Manor, Clairwood and the Jacobs area, where numerous acts of murder, arson, rape, and brutal attacks and looting took place.[2]

Rampaging African crowds burnt houses, stores, raped Indian women and girls and bludgeoned to death Indians of all ages and sexes. An article in the Indian Opinion recounted the devastation:

"Huddled under the flames of one of the burning shops were four Indian women and a dozen weeping children. The male owner was in a grotesque attitude on the front path, knifed in several places and dying. A younger son staggered in the road with his head split open. This was one of the hundreds of pathetic sites that were witnessed in Cato and other districts of Durban."

Friday night saw the peak of the violence when Africans hurled paraffin tins into Indian owned buildings and families were burned alive.[3]

Saturday riots

By Saturday, the military and police were mostly able to establish order although limited violence occurred in Pietermaritzburg a few days later.[2][3]

Aftermath

The consequent loss of life and property was officially given as follows: deaths; 142 (87 Africans, 50 Indians, 1 white and 4 others whose identity could not be determined); injured; 1 087 (541 Africans, 503 Indians, 11 Coloureds and 32 whites; of the injured 58 died); buildings destroyed: 1 factory, 58 stores and 247 dwellings; buildings damaged: 2 factories, 652 stores and 1 285 dwellings.

The riots created thousands of Indian refugees, followed by a wave of suicides among Indians, as a result of the disintegration of their families, economic failure, stress, humiliation and racist discrimination.[3]

A report on the events by the Riots Inquiry Commission enjoyed some criticism for its limitations. The South African Government, sticking fast to its doctrine of racial segregation, rejected the suggestion that an Indian and an African should also be members of the commission. The commission also refused to grant the opportunity to certain recognised bodies to cross-examine witnesses in order to test allegations and accusations which would be made. This opened the way for propaganda. It is no secret that many witnesses made the wildest of statements, which crumbled immediately the members of the commission began to test them. Local Non-European organisations with a sound knowledge of local affairs would have been able to make very useful and valuable contributions in this respect had they been allowed to cross-examine witnesses.

See also

References

  1. ^ Horowitz, Donald (2001). The Deadly Ethnic Riot. University of California Press. p. 346. ISBN 9780520236424. Donald Horowitz Durban Riots European women.
  2. ^ a b "The Durban riots, 1949". South African History Online. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  3. ^ a b c Soski, Jon. "African Nationalism, Indian Diaspora and Kwa-Zulu".
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