Only a limited number of academic studies have been written specifically on the role of political violence and vigilante activities in KwaZulu-Natal between 1985 and 1994. Moreover, very few secondary sources are available on political violence and vigilantes in KwaZulu-Natal. This study therefore relies on bits and pieces from general historical literature, documents, newspaper articles, journals and editorial letters.

A. Truluck's book,No blood on our hands: political violence in the Natal Midlands 1987 to mid-1992, and the role of the state, "white" political parties and business, provided valuable information for this study. Truluck's analysis of original source material shed some light on the actual role played by the South African Government in KwaZulu-Natal in so far as political violence and vigilante activities were concerned. Truluck believes that the Government played a meaningful role in averting vigilantism and political violence before it reached a full-scale war in KwaZulu-Natal. It is interesting to note that Truluck acknowledges it as a fact that the Government was also involved in acts of violence through the manner in which they handled different situations or incidents. Another thing that Truluck believes is that the socio-economic situation in KwaZulu-Natal played a significant role in the rise of vigilantes, who were also responsible for acts of violence.

A book and some articles by N. Haysom, such asMabangalala, the rise of right-wing vigilantes in South Africa, justify the actions of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the United Democratic Front (UDF) and later the African National Congress (ANC) as if they were innocent victims in the whole scenario of political violence and vigilantism in KwaZulu-Natal. Haysom lay the blame entirely at the door of the South African Government, who failed to take a stand and instead tended to side with the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in most instances. Haysom believes that it was for this reason that the Government was caught in the middle.

N.C. Manganyi's study,Political violence and the struggle in South Africa,concentrates on the role of violence that overcame KwaZulu-Natal socially and economically. Manganyi believes that if KwaZulu-Natal was economically stable and its citizens educated enough, most aspects of the violence could have been avoided. He believes that most people were innocent victims who were caught in the middle of political violence and vigilante activities. Manganyi also questions the role played by the Government in the whole debacle. In his conclusion, Manganyi asserts that if all parties involved in vigilantism and politics were rational, most of the aspects could have been solved without bloodshed and social injustices.

M. Kentridge's study,The unofficial war in Natal: Pietermaritzburg under the knife, gives a clear picture of the region that was at war with itself. In his opinion, this war pitted together people of the same region along party politics. Kentridge states that the war emanated due to different political dimensions that existed in KwaZulu-Natal. He acknowledges that a challenge posed by COSATU-UDF alliance was a serious threat to the autonomy of IFP in KwaZulu-Natal. According to Kentridge, it was out of this challenge that the unofficial war between IFP and the alliance started.

A.D.V Minaar's book,Conflict and violence in Natal/KwaZulu: Historical perspective shed some light on how political violence and vigilante activities emerged. He provides an account on how several historical issues took place in KwaZulu-Natal. Furthermore, he gives a clear indication on how the historical aspects were handled by all stakeholders (IFP, ANC and the South African Government) involved in KwaZulu-Natal. Minaar states that handling of these aspects had an effect on the rise of political violence and vigilante activities in KwaZulu-Natal.

Another study by Minaar, Patterns of violence: Case studies of conflict in Natal, proved very handy for this study, Minaar's analysis of various patterns of conflict that took place in KwaZulu-Natal helped uncover the truth behind the violence which had covered the whole region. Minaar believes that all those who were accused of being instigators of violence and vigilante activities were definitely involved one way or the other.

R. Carver' book,KwaZulu-Natal, continued violence and displacement, gives an overview on how political violence and vigilante activities played a role in the dislocation of families in KwaZulu-Natal. Carver explains how socially and economically, the people of KwaZulu-Natal were affected by the evils of political violence and vigilante activities. Families had to endure lots of miseries. According to Carver, political violence and vigilante activities had a very serious detrimental effect on the people of KwaZulu-Natal.

Editorials from theSouth African Digest and excerpts from the numerous volumes ofKeesing's Record of World Events provide primary source material on the events of vigilantism and political violence as they unfolded between 1985 and 1994. Neither source, however, provides much analysis, since the objective of these publications is to provide factual information rather than commentary.

The study also focuses on the reports in various newspapers as well as journal articles. The articles from different newspapers were compared with the aim of achieving a clear objective. Newspapers were interesting to analyse; the reason being that some were subjective while others were objective in their reporting of violence and vigilantism in KwaZulu-Natal. Most of the journal articles consulted helped the study in a major way, because it provided the researcher with an edge to strive for the ultimate goal of being objective in the best way possible.