IFP Women walked out of a Women’s Day Rally called by the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Mr. Willies Mchunu today at Mondlo Township outside Vryheid. This happened when ANC Women’s League and other ANC members who were transported in buses and combis, flooded the venue in their full ANC regalia. Then what was supposed to be a government function turned into a clear ANC rally as ANC members sang ANC songs and chanted ANC slogans, without any objection from government leaders and other Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature.
IFP Women’s Brigade Chairperson, Thokozile Gumede said: “We resolved to walk out of the rally as soon as it became clear that it had turned into an ANC rally. We could not subject ourselves to the ANC rally while we had attended a government function called by the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal.
“What annoyed us more was that ANC women decided to ambush us. For all the time when we – as different parties – were preparing for this Women’s Parliament, ANC women gave us an assurance that anyone coming to the Women’s Parliament wearing ANC or any party-political regalia would be escorted out of the event because it was a government function. If they were honest from the start and told us that ANC members would come in their party colours, we would have ensured that IFP members come in their party colours as well.
“As the event is going on tomorrow as well, we will yet again boycott it if they continue to allow a government function to be hijacked by the ANC.”
Issued by:
Thokozile Gumede
KwaZulu-Natal IFP Women’s Brigade Chairperson
073 583 8585
