The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng are going through a bitter breakup. This comes after EFF leader Julius Malema accused the party of using them and ordered every member of his party to stop working with the IFP. 

IFP HITTING BACK

On Monday the IFP issued a statement where it said it was not going to sacrifice one of their municipalities to please the EFF which wanted to govern the UMhlathuze Local Municipality in KZNl. They confirmed their split in a statement on Monday morning. "Following the events of the past few days, we felt it was important to state the IFP's position on the latest developments impacting the coalition government in South Africa. It is interesting to see political parties that initially took a stand against the ANC - against corruption and the impending downfall of South Africa back in bed with the ANC again, due to their own greed for power, positions, and contracts. Birds of the same feather, flock together," the statement reads.

 EFF ARROGANT?

The IFP said they had a follow-up meeting with EFF leaders on 25 January in Durban where the red berets were very arrogant in their request to rule UMhlathuze Local Municipality. During the meeting in Durban, the EFF was very arrogant. "The IFP was categorically clear that we would not hand UMhlathuze over to the EFF, as this would be a betrayal of the trust and confidence placed in the IFP by the people of UMhlathuze. We informed the EFF that we would not enter into any coalition arrangement that was inclusive of the ANC. We further suggested that an opposition bloc arrangement could be consolidated to allow the EFF to lead eThekwini Municipality and further proposed changes in the construct of the coalition governments in Gauteng to incorporate the EFF in government - without returning the ANC into power. The EFF rejected these proposals, indicating that their deal with the ANC would proceed with or without us," the statement added. The EFF's provincial chair, Mongezi Twala, said the IFP's offer of these municipalities didn't make sense. "How can they offer us a municipality that they don't have majority numbers in. How can they give us what is not theirs to begin with," asked Twala.

APARTHEID COLLABORATOR

Speaking during the party's  annual plenum to plan for the political year on Friday, EFF leader Julius Malena said they thought that apartheid collaborators, referring to the IFP, have changed its spot.

"But it has come very clear that apartheid collaborator IFP is not ready to change. The IFP must not get anything everywhere where we are involved. Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Mohale City. Anywhere you see the ugly head of the IFP, put it aside." Malema said. He said he will be telling all the deputy mayors at IFP run municipalities to resign with immediate effect.

 MUNICIPALITIES SAVE

The IFP said that out of the 29 municipalities they currently govern, they are likely to lose one municipality because of this latest development. "The laughable latest development is the ANC in KZN jumping the bandwagon through Bheki Mtolo, who is a loose cannon on the deck. To the ANC in KZN, you continue to be rejected and this unholy marriage of corruption between the ANC and the EFF will not derail our onward march to removing the ANC in this province next year," the statement reads.