"The IFP has today condemned the dissolution of the Abaqulusi Municipal Council by the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Local Government, Mr Mike Mabuyakhulu" the Rev Zondi said.

Rev Zondi said "The rumours of the politically-motivated reasons to dissolve the Abaqulusi Municipality in Vryheid have long been circulating and today it comes as no surprise that MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu has eventually given credence to these by issuing a decree of his intention to intervene in terms of the Section 139(3) of the Constitution. The facts of the matter are however, in our view, against the MEC's high-handed actions. The Municipal Council is not operating chaotically as he claims. It passed the budget in time in compliance with the law. It carries its business normally in accordance with the law and the Constitution."

Rev Zondi further said, "We contest the MEC's claim that the fifteen councillors actually absented themselves from three consecutive meetings of the Council. They did not. In one of the three instances that the MEC takes to be absenteeism, our Councillors duly attended the meeting, participated in the proceedings and it is only when voting occurred that they exercised their democratic right to walk-out of the one meeting they are now said to have not attended."

"Quite clearly, the IFP is left with no option but to seek recourse in the courts of the land. We cannot allow the MEC to abuse his position and act to advance the naked political interests of the ANC which has tried every trick in the book to destabilise the Abaqulusi Municipal Council," the Rev Zondi said.