The Hostel Peace Initiative: Rethinking Violence and Peace at the End of Apartheid

In August 1992, one of the most remarkable peace initiatives was launched in South Africa when two warring migrant worker hostels began negotiating for a truce. The residents of the African National Congress-aligned Selby hostel and the Inkatha Freedom Party-dominated Jeppe hostel in central Johannesburg had been in open conflict for over a year. By February 1993, over 30 hostels had joined the Hostel Peace Initiative (HPI). Statistics show that violence in the greater Johannesburg region declined drastically during this period; the HPI, as this article argues, played an essential role in this decline. Amid intense political pressures and widespread violence, the HPI represented a grassroots effort by hostel residents to end the conflict. Based on archival research and oral history interviews, this article interrogates the significance of this initiative within the broader context of South Africa’s democratic transition. It explores the dynamics within and between hostels, mainly focusing on the roles of internal power structures, migrant networks and external political pressures. The article shows that izinduna (headmen) played a vital role in connecting the urban migrant worker hostels with the politics and concerns of the KwaZulu bantustan. Access to land and the future of the bantustan were key in mobilising traditional authorities in the hostels. The article aims to contribute to a fuller understanding of the significance of violence and peace during the transition to democracy in South Africa.