Racial Riots In Durban

Wanganui Chronicle, 17 January 1949, Page 5

Racial Riots In Durban

300 Lives Lost And 1000 People Injured In A Hight Of Terror

Durban, Jan. 15 (Rec. 9 p.m.)—The police estimate that 300 people lost their lives and 1000 were injured in riots in Durban. Rioting continued throughout last night and part of this morning.

The authorities reported that the situation this morning is well in hand as the result of measures taken by the police and military and naval personnel. Strong reinforcements of police and troops are being rushed to Durban.

The Defence Minister (Mr. F. C. Erasmus) said that in the event of deterioration in the situation he would proclaim a state of emergency and mobilise an active citizens’ force.

Correspondents report that frenzied, Africans, chanting Zulu war songs,] storemed through the Indian quarter, of Durban last night, murdering In-1 dians and plundering. As soon as the police and troops dispersed one outbreak, another was reported elsewhere. Most of the natives were armed with heavy sticks and iron spikes. In one area, near the centre of the city police last night had to open fire on a large mob, which broke and ran, leaving seven wounded in the street.

The police also opened fire on Africans in the Umbio and Jacob area of Durban this morning, killing and wounding a number of the rioters The highlight of a night of terror occurred at Cato Manor, on the fringe of the city, where troops called on a large Zulu impi (armed band) to come out of the bush and surrender. Yelling frenzied war cries, the Zulus charged out of hiding, forcing the troops to fire. More than 100 Zulus fell killed or wounded.

The police charged with fixed bayonets.

When rioters made a sudden raid on a refugee camp today Indians fled in all directions, carrying their children. Nearly every home is deserted in the Indian southern residential area. Long columns of destitute and distressed old men and women and hundreds of children are me king their way towards a refugee camp which has been established at Cato Manor police station, in the worst affected area.

Twelve surgeons worked throughout the night at a Government hospital, where dead and dying Indians and Africans lay on stretchers in long queues outside the operating theatre. Durban's mortuaries are packed with corpses. Sports dealers reported they have been swamped with demands for firearms and ammunition by Europeans who feared that they might be attacked.

Cars streamed from the city today carrying women and children. Eight Dakotas are standing by at Pretoria over the week-end ready to rush reinforcements to any part of the Union where racial riots might break out. Six Spitfires are also standing by in case rioting spreads to the European areas of Duban.

General Smuts, commenting on the riots, said: “South Airica is tasting her first fruits of the present Government's racially repressive and contrareactionary economic policies. The small fire which the Government is' fanning today may lead to a terrible conflagration. We can lose all we have, unless we continue good and decent human relationships with nonEuropeans. We must not folow a policy that makes the black man think or feel the white man is his enemy.” General Smuts forecast a general election, before the end cf the year. The “Sunday Tribune" says the main causes of the Indian-African riots in the city have been apparent for years, and,' despite the gravest warnings, the State ‘failed to appreciate fully the explosiveness of the material it has tried to handle in half measures. ” The riots did not result from hatred of the Asiatic, though it was true that the African dislikes him. “What has happened is that the native has burst the bonds of frustration,” says the paper. “There is no trouble in the reserves but in the city in which 100,000 Africans work for Europeans. A small spark is sufficient to start the country’s greatest bonfire.” The “Cape Argus” said it had been the country's proud boast that South Africa was one of the very few countries where different races" lived together in peace and security withoui lynchings or terrorism, or race riots. “Yesterday’s horrible events have taken from ,us the right to make this claim,” says the “Argus.” One of the root causes is resentment of the natives against their treatment by Indians, both in employment and in contacts generally. This resentment has now burst out with all the greater force because it has been nursed in sullen silence for so long.”

RIOTS IN OTHER CENTRES

DURBAN, Jan. 16 (Recd. 11 pm).— Fighting between Africans and Indians continued throughout last night and fresh battles were reported at Pietermaritzburg and other Natal towns. Troops were ordered to Pinetowd and New Germany, hear Durban to check a Zulus’ advance on Indian stores and homes. The South African Cabinet will meet at Capetown tomorrow to consider a report by the Minister of Justict (Mr. Swarts) and Minister of Defence (Mr. Erasmus) on the native riots.