Adriaan Vlok, Minister of Law and Order, announces a ban on the carrying of pangas, bush knives and axes weapons in “conflict situations”

The ongoing violence between African National Congress (ANC) and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) supporters during the negotiations that led up to the first democratic election in South Africa was the reason that the ANC demanded that the carrying of "traditional" weapons be banned. Factional violence had claimed 6000 lives within five years. However, to many people these objects signified a history of opposing colonialism, and thus this question of actually banning them raised emotions. In response to what the ANC saw as delaying tactics with regard to this issue, the ANC threatened to pull out of the Codesa negotiation talks. This in turn prompted the Minister of Law and Order at the time, Adriaan Vlok, to announce a ban on 16 April 1991on the carrying of certain "traditional" weapons. These included wide-bladed knives known as "pangas" and machetes. It is doubtful whether this ban had any effect on the factional violence between ANC and IFP supporters, since Vlok defined "traditional weapons" as being sticks, shields, knobkerries (short clubs) and in some cases battle axes. This unclear definition of 'traditional weapons" by Vlok was considered proof by the ANC that the Apartheid government to a large extent was fuelling the violence between the ANC and IFP, and this eventually led to a demand that Vlok be ousted from his position.