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They say a leopard never changes its spots. This rings absolutely true for a dying, desperate ruling party.

For the ANC these days, it never rains, it pours. In every poll they are down, trailing behind everyone else.

The success of the IFP’s Manifesto Launch last week, is clearly giving them chest pains. Soon after the launch, they suffered a terrible defeat when the IFP took 3 wards from the ANC, in Newcastle on Wednesday.

To add insult to injury, their KZN Provincial Chairperson aka “The Premier’s Nanny-In-Chief” had a dreadful election debate on Ukhozi FM on Friday night. It is the same Chairperson who desecrated on the Zulu Monarchy yesterday, confirming his utter disrespect for His Majesty King MisuZulu kaZwelithini.

The same Chairperson undermined President Cyril Ramaphosa with his behaviour yesterday. Again, reminding us that he is actually a “Wenzenist”. The same Chairperson has undermined the KZN Premier from the day she assumed office as Premier.

Yesterday, it all came full circle. 

The man is unhinged and a bully of epic proportions. Drunk on his ego, he is clearly hellbent on an elusive dream to become Premier. The growth and strides of the IFP have complicated this maniac and his misplaced ambitions.

The writing is on the wall: Mene, Mene, Tekel uPharsin!

Siboniso Duma’s behaviour yesterday was an assault on the Zulu Monarch, the entire Zulu Nation and our democracy. He is single-handedly responsible for fomenting violence. He is on a disastrous path of self-aggrandisement at the collective expense of democracy, peace and stability.

The IFP is therefore shocked, but not surprised, that the ANCWL and the ANC have whipped out their familiar propaganda notebook, by using violent slurs to label the IFP. Calling our members bloodletting warlords and hoodlums, amongst many other insults hurled at us in two statements issued today, is not only unwarranted but it defies logic and common sense.

This comes after individuals, allegedly members of the ANC, were injured at a Government event remembering the late Isilo kaDinuzulu Cetshwayo, at KwaCeza, yesterday. The ruling party alleges, without offering any evidence, that IFP supporters are responsible. 

One recalls that the ANC in KZN, through the KZN government, first mooted the event, to coincide with the IFP’s manifesto launch. When they failed to execute this obtuse plan they instead opted to bus in scores of ANC supporters to yesterday’s event.

Now, they claim the IFP bussed in supporters from a hostel in Zululand. There is no hostel in Zululand.

Let us be clear: the IFP condemns all forms of violence. We welcome any police investigation that would lead to apprehending the perpetrators in this unfortunate incident, and we wish anyone injured a speedy recovery.

But we reject the ANC’s baseless claims, when they were in fact the ones busing in their rent-a-crowd.

Furthermore, let me point out the obvious. No IFP member - as far as we are aware - is in police custody. 

Therefore, labelling our members by such derogatory terms or accusing them of acts of violence without any proof is clear provocation, aimed at destabilising the province of KwaZulu-Natal, ahead of the crucial May 29 elections.

This is a familiar tactic of the ANC when it becomes unsettled or rattled. We have seen it before. This is clearly the case now, as it risks losing the province come 29 May 2024.

However, the ANCWL completely loses the plot in their statement when they claim that yesterday’s incident reminds them of the political violence of the eighties, when Prince Buthelezi led Inkatha. 

It is incomprehensible that the ANCWL should invoke our country's painful past of black-on-black violence, which was waged by the ANC's as a "people's war", at the cost of some 20,000 black lives. How do they think reminding South Africa of this inexcusable past scores them any political points? 

We condemn this reckless rhetoric with the contempt it deserves. We will be approaching the IEC to lodge a formal complaint against the ANCWL’s war-mongering tactics.

Let us also remind the ANCWL who we are: we are proud products of the legacy of uMntwana waKwaPhindangene, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi - a man whom their own organisation has labelled a great statesman, a freedom-fighter, peacemaker, a great son of the soil.

The IFP is an unstoppable force for good. No amount of propaganda, hate or lies will change that. We stand for prosperity, peace, and unity in diversity.

We call on the ANC to embrace the same values, for the sake of stability and peaceful democratic elections. 


Issued by IFP National Spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa