More than four decades after apartheid security forces opened fire on protesters in Duncan Village, survivors of the 1985 massacre say the wounds of that day remain visible — in their bodies, their families and the township itself.
As residents prepare to mark the 41st anniversary of the massacre on Tuesday, survivors and the victims’ families say the promises they associated with liberation have not materialised for many people whose lives were shaped by the struggle.
On the day, between 19 and 23 people were killed and scores were injured when security forces fired on mourners and protesters returning from the funeral of slain United Democratic Front (UDF) leader Victoria Mxenge, who was gunned down on August 1 1985 outside her home in Umlazi, Durban.
Mxenge’s funeral was held on August 11 that year in KwaRhayi Village, outside Qonce.
Demonstrations flared in several areas afterwards and Duncan Village paid a heavy price, as government buildings, rent offices, community centres and the homes of state-aligned councillors went up in flames.
The security forces responded with lethal force and the ensuing bloodshed later became known as the Duncan Village Massacre.
Three bullets remain lodged in the body of former activist Mxolisi Qebeyi, who was shot during the violence.
One round is in his lung, another is close to his spinal cord, while a third is lodged in his arm.
Doctors warned Qebeyi, who would become a ward councillor many years later, that removing them could leave him paralysed or kill him.
Qebeyi, who was involved in organising resistance in Duncan Village, said he spent much of the day of the massacre ferrying wounded protesters to hospital and helping to identify those who had been killed.
He said the violence was preceded by underground meetings, marches and mobilisation around Mxenge’s funeral.
Qebeyi was shot later on August 11, while throwing a petrol bomb.
“It was not a planned war, but it became like a war in the streets. We were young, and we believed we were fighting for our future.”
He was treated at Frere Hospital under police supervision and later detained for about a year, including seven months in solitary confinement.
Qebeyi said the anniversary of the massacre was about more than remembering those who died; it was also an opportunity to ask what became of the SA the youngsters believed they were fighting for.
“I had great expectations. I expected that when we won our liberation, then I’d have a vehicle, I’d have a nice house and a beautiful family.
“My children would study and I wouldn’t be suffering like we did during apartheid.”
Instead, he said, many people in Duncan Village remained trapped in poverty and unemployment.
“There are no jobs, there is no foreign investment, factories closed down and people are suffering genuinely.
“Freedom must be felt in people’s lives. It is not just about voting. It is about having food, jobs and dignity.”
Duncan Village anti-crime activist Tembisa Beula, 64, lost his 17-year-old younger brother, Brian, who was shot by the security forces on the night of the massacre.
He said Brian was hit multiple times. The fatal wound was to his pelvic area.
“It was at night and the last person he spoke to was our mother.
“Everyone was afraid to leave the house because the police and soldiers were patrolling.”
Beula said the families of many of the victims had never recovered.
“The family I have witnessed being affected the most is the Wili family.
“They lost a child after police threw teargas into their house and the toddler died.
“His body was discovered discoloured and in a very bad state.”
Nosipho Marwexu, now 60, was a student at Duncan Village’s Qaqamba Senior Secondary School and a Congress of South African Students organiser deployed in KwaRhayi during Mxenge’s funeral and the demonstrations that followed.
She was among the young activists who returned from KwaRhayi and joined the protests in Duncan Village.
Marwexu was detained during a crackdown a year later when the country was under a state of emergency.
She entered prison while two months’ pregnant and remained in detention for about a year, giving birth while incarcerated at West Bank Prison.
“My child is now 40 years old. She is not working. She is like many of the children of the victims of Duncan Village.”
Marwexu said the government should assist the affected families, including by creating opportunities for at least one person from each family to secure permanent employment.
“We are not asking for a project. We are asking for a permanent position so that these families can survive.”
She said the graves of those killed during the violence and the memorial erected for the activists had been neglected.
“What pains me today is that people talk about Duncan Village, but the people who were involved are no longer remembered.
“There is not even a proper commemoration for those who died and those who suffered here.”
About a year ago, the Duncan Village Massacre statue was stolen.
The monument commemorating those who were killed was unveiled by former president Thabo Mbeki in 2008, near Kusile Comprehensive School.
However, it was controversial. Some residents argued that its depiction of a warrior carrying a spear and shield did not accurately reflect events in the township on that fateful day and called for it to be replaced.
Duncan Village Development Forum member Tiyo Tonisi said the theft and gradual destruction of the monument reflected how Duncan Village had been neglected.
On Tuesday, Beula said, families of the victims and survivors would gather at the Duncan Village cemetery, where many of those killed are buried, for a remembrance ceremony.
Daily Dispatch
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