The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has instructed the newly appointed Umvoti Municipality mayor, Gabriel Malembe, an IFP member, to step down with immediate effect, less than 24 hours after he was declared mayor.
NOT MANDATED BY HIS PARTY
The instruction was made by the IFP President ,Velenkosini Hlabisa, who said that party councillors at Umvoti Municipality were not mandated by the organisation to vote with the ANC. Hlabisa told ZiMoja that IFP leadership was shocked when they heard the news that their councillors in Umvoti had formed a pact with the ANC to oust Philani Mavundla of the Abantu Batho Congress (ABC). Mavundla was voted out from his position yesterday during a vote of no confidence that was brought forward by the IFP and the ANC councillors. "Let me make this clear to the people of South Africa, we can't partner with a party that destroyed our country. We have informed the mayor that was nominated yesterday that he must resign with immediate effect because he was not mandated by the IFP," said Hlabisa. The IFP is amongst the parties that have signed a Multi-Charter Coalition with Democratic Alliance.
WEIGHING UP OPTIONS
The IFP has made it clear that no matter the outcomes of the May 29 national elections, they will never form a coalition government with the ANC and EFF but said they were still weighing up their options on working with Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MK).
"We never said that we will never work with the MK, we said that we must wait for their manifesto so that we will know their direction. We listened to their manifesto over the weekend, and we will discuss their manifesto before we make any decisions. As the leader of a political party, we welcome the MK to the political arena. What makes me happy is that the people of South Africa have matured and cannot be taken for granted," he said. "The MK has made it clear that they are still ANC members that want to correct the wrongdoings of the ANC. As the IFP, we are not threatened by the formation of the MK. Our efforts are to reclaim KwaZulu Natal. People of South Africa have been engaging with us that they want change," he said.
