The IFP's National Chairperson, Ms Zanele Magwaza, today announced that the IFP will hold a march on Friday, 7 April 2006, starting at Albert Park, Durban at 12h00 and proceeding to the Durban City Hall, where a memorandum will be handed over to the Independent Electoral Commission regarding concerns about our country's electoral system and procedures which deny the electorate their fair representation by ballot.

Ms Magwaza said,

"We will march to Durban City Hall on Friday to press our concerns about the way the democratic principles we have all fought for are being undermined by legislation which erodes the democratic will of the people."

"We will present a memorandum to the Independent Electoral Commission outlining our protest against the floor-crossing legislation and widespread electoral irregularities which are just swept under the carpet, further undermining our confidence in the possibility of free and fair elections."

"The pretext that was advanced for the floor-crossing legislation was that people have a democratic right to change their minds and to leave the parties they belong to, and join others. Yet, no consideration was given that we do not have constituency based national and provincial elections, but proportional based representation. Votes are garnered for a party rather than for an individual. The floor-crossing legislation thus erodes the confidence of the electorate in the electoral system, as the vote cast for a party can be taken by an individual to another party for whatever reason."

"A politician who has a change of political conscience, if true to his or her conscience should relinquish his or her seat, as this was secured with votes for a party whose principles he or she does no longer support. Yet, we do not see this happen - in reality we have become victims of "professional politicians" who will go to the highest bidder. This sounds the death knell for opposition politics where smaller parties can be eroded by cheque book politics."

"The time is now for all of us to stand up for what we have all have fought for. We cannot idly stand by and let our democracy become one in name only. We cannot let the price we have all paid be for nothing, for the replacement of an oppressive system with a one-party state. We call on all our members and concerned citizens to attend," Ms Magwaza concluded.