IFP leader Hlabisa reaffirms no coalition with ANC

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Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) leader Velenkosini Hlabisa has reaffirmed the party’s position of not wanting a coalition with the African National Congress (ANC).

This as the party has called for the resignation of a senior party member who managed to secure himself a seat as mayor in the Umvoti Local Municipality, with the help of the ANC.

Hlabisa reflects on the party’s campaign thus far, sharing his ambition of securing the party’s stronghold of KwaZulu-Natal and advocating for peaceful elections.

IFP senior leader Gabriel Malembe was voted in as Umvoti Mayor on Tuesday following a vote of no confidence against ABC’s Philani Mavundla.

Hlabisa says that the decision taken by Malembe and the ANC was not endorsed by the IFP. He adds that the decision taken by the IFP to not go into a coalition government with the ANC stands.

“The mayor that was elected has been informed to submit a resignation letter because he can’t do what he did without the mandate of the IFP. I think that is the record I can’t go beyond that. We have a position that we can’t go into governance with a political party that destroyed our community and we are on a campaign drive to remove that political party. So, what happened yesterday has been ordered to be reversed as it did not have the blessing of the IFP.”

In the 2019 elections, the IFP received just under 600 000 votes nationally making it the fourth biggest political party in the country. Hlabisa says that the party hopes to triple its support base in next week’s elections.

“That in 2019 we got 599 839 votes. We have targeted to triple this number and our target is between 1.8 million and 2 million in order to lead the KwaZulu government in order to be part of the executive in the Gauteng Province and also be part of the government at the national level because we will be going there as a formidable force in terms of the representation.”

VIDEO | 2024 Elections | ‘IFP efforts are to reclaim KwaZulu-Natal’: Velenkosini Hlabisa

‘Potential violence hotspot’

KwaZulu-Natal has been flagged as a potential violence hotspot in the upcoming elections in areas that include Nongoma, Ulundi, and eThekwini Hostels. Hlabisa has thus urged political parties and supporters to accept the outcomes of the 29 May polls.

“Because we saw in 2021 the ANC was driven out in key areas where they were governing. Umhlathuze in KwaZulu-Natal is one of the biggest economic hubs in South Africa. ANC was taken out, there was no violence. They were taken out in Tshwane, there was no violence. They were taken out of the City of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni though they are back now in a headache coalition but they were taken out and there was no violence. Political parties will have to accept that when the people have spoken, their will should be respected and I have confidence in our security in our country.”

Hlabisa has also dispelled reports that the IFP is a regional party predominantly based in KwaZulu-Natal.

The IFP leader says that the party has been well received by South Africans who are eager to show their support in the 29 May polls.