The brutal political violence that erupted in the Witwatersrand townships (the “Reef”) — including places like **Soweto, Alexandra, Sebokeng and the East/West Rand — in the early 1990s as apartheid was collapsing. It was a deadly period where rival political factions, hostel dwellers (often linked to Inkatha) and ANC supporters clashed in waves of attacks, killings, drive‑bys and counter‑attacks, leaving hundreds dead and thousands displaced.
Person 1: “What made the transition to democracy so violent in some parts of South Africa?”
Person 2: “In areas like the Witwatersrand, the political conflict escalated into what historians call the Reef War, with clashes between rival groups and thousands of deaths before 1994.”
Person 2: “In areas like the Witwatersrand, the political conflict escalated into what historians call the Reef War, with clashes between rival groups and thousands of deaths before 1994.”
by Mchacha March 10, 2026
Get the Reef War mug.