Rampage Kills 13 In South Africa

An armed mob swept through the South African countryside on Monday, killing 13 people and burning dozens of homes in an annual holiday escalation of violence between rival Zulus.

The Christmas Day attack was the third such rampage in the southern KwaZulu-Natal province this month. It followed the Christmas homecomings of thousands of city workers.

“Every year it’s the same thing,” said Wilfred Masuku, who attended a funeral Saturday for 10 victims of an earlier assault. “The workers come back from Johannesburg for Christmas and the killings start.”

A police sergeant said about 1,000 men and women armed with guns and spears stormed through Izingolweni on the KwaZulu-Natal southern coast after dawn Monday, burning huts and killing people. At least 20 people were injured.

“This was definitely a revenge attack,” police Sgt. Denis Meyer said. “This seems to be the start of a very bad period.”

The area is an African National Congress stronghold, which prompted immediate suspicion that the attack was by supporters of the Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party, an ANC rival.

This month’s violence began Dec. 15 when a gang attacked two houses at Nsimbini, near Port Shepstone, killing 10 people.

Four days later, President Nelson Mandela, leader of the ANC, and Inkatha leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi appealed together for peace in the province. The same day, assailants killed eight women and children in attacks on two houses about 24 miles south.