The IFP National Council, the Party’s highest decision-making body, having met at the Durban Manor on Thursday 7 July 2016, resolved as follows –
NFP VIOLENCE
The National Council recorded its support for a statement issued by its President, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi MP, on Wednesday 6 July 2016 in which he decried the current violence and threats that have emanated from the ranks of the NFP.
A spokesperson of the NFP warned that there would be violence in the wake of the Electoral Court’s decision to uphold the IEC’s ruling. It is not clear to whom this warning was directed.
But already a store in Nongoma has been attacked and vandalised. The owner of the store is known to be an IFP supporter who makes T-shirts for our party. This attack appears to be retribution. We are not aware of the extent of the damage.
There are also reported cases of assault against our members in Nongoma, Umtshezi and Uthukela.
This becomes increasingly concerning in the light of information received by the IFP’s Deputy National Spokesperson, Comrade Joshua Mazibuko. He has been informed by a journalist that the NFP is promising that there will be plenty of by-elections after August 3rd because: “people will die”. This message was also posted on Facebook. In addition one NFP supporter stated on Facebook that he should open a funeral parlour after August 3rd as business will be lucrative. The clear suggestion is that our councillors will be targeted for assassination.
We are deeply disturbed by these developments. I therefore call on the NFP to speak to their members and be honest about the late payment to the IEC that saw them disqualified from the coming elections. It had nothing to do with the IFP. This is an internal matter the NFP will need to deal with, with maturity and circumspection. Making inflammatory allegations will not serve to heal their party. It will only cause an escalation of the anger that has already begun to express itself through protest and violence.
Finally, the IFP National Council, calls on the rank and file of the Party to remain calm. We do so because we believe in free and fair elections. We are also calling on our members not to react to provocation by the NFP who have already publicly insulted our leader and our Party at large.
Issued by:
Ms Liezl van der Merwe, MP
On behalf of National Council
