The Inkatha Freedom Party has described the assassination of its youth leader as a systematic campaign to eliminate IFP leaders before the general elections. The IFP said this in reaction to the news of the assassination of Shadrack Dube - the Chairperson of the IFP Youth Brigade in the Big 5 Municipality - who was gunned down yesterday afternoon. Dube was shot with eight bullets by unknown assailants as he came back from buying airtime not far from his house at Phumlani Township, at Hluhluwe.

Conveying the IFP's condolences, IFP Chairperson at Mkhanyakude District Municipality and Member of Parliament, Alfred Mpontshane said:

"As the IFP, we are deeply saddened and disturbed by the untimely death of our Comrade, Shadrack Dube, who was gunned down in cold blood yesterday. While we do not yet know his assailants, we however note with concern the almost uniform pattern in the way he and some of our leaders have been assassinated. The manner of their assassination smacks of a serious and systematic campaign for the elimination of our leaders especially as we move towards elections - the intention being to derail the IFP campaign and to intimidate its supporters.

"We shall continue to hold this view that some political thugs are bent on eliminating our leaders until the law-enforcement agencies bring all their murderers before the courts where they will have to prove us wrong."

Issued By:
Alfred Mpontshane                                     083 4416201
IFP MP and UMkhanyakude District Chairperson