Durban: An open, honest dialogue must take place for communities to rebuild and move forward, political analysts have said amid unrest and racial tension in KZN.
Bheki Mngomezulu, a political analyst, said the first step was to educate South Africans, the young and the old alike, about the history of KwaZulu-Natal and the history of Indians in South Africa.
He felt that enmity between the two racial groups was partly due to ignorance regarding this aspect.
"Indians have a long history in South Africa dating back to 1860. Mahatma Gandhi's role in South African politics should be preserved. The role played by several Indians in the liberation struggle and in the trade unions should not be forgotten.
“Indians, like Zulus, were on the receiving end of British colonialism – both in India and in South Africa. This should demonstrate that the two racial groups are not enemies but brothers and sisters."
Referring to the 1949 Inanda riots, which saw clashes between Indians and Zulus, he said this should not be forgotten.
He said the Indian role in the country's economy should also be recognised. Mngomezulu said attempts should be made to reconcile the two ethnic groups – both formally and informally.
"This must be done through government initiatives and informally through self-initiated programmes by local Zulu and Indian communities."
He said leaders from both communities should address the masses jointly.
"This is so that the 'us' and 'them' syndrome could be eliminated."
Mngomezulu said the president also needed to step in to address the situation. "The president has not assisted us in addressing the situation in the country when, on two occasions, he talked about ethnic mobilisation thereby tacitly reducing the whole incident to a Zulu matter. This was irresponsible."
Fellow political analyst, Sanusha Naidu, said it would take a concerted effort to establish trust between the two communities again.
"Tensions have deepened and manifested. It is going to take a lot, even to build cordiality."
She said the key focus should be re-building society as a whole and building social cohesion.
"Once we are able to improve the levels of the social contract, which is respect, empathy and compassion, I guess then you would be able to build communities." Naidu said a possible solution was for government to embark on a national project of identity and inclusion.
"A national project where everyone is made to feel like they belong in the country. It should be about people and how we see ourselves as South Africans."
Dirk Kotze, a political scientist as Unisa, spoke about the new Zulu king, King Misuzulu KaZwelithini, and his contribution to forging peace. "If a delegation of prominent Indian people go to him to start a dialogue, it will be a powerful message. Community leaders from both sides also should be seen to talk with each other, especially at flash points."