MEDIA STATEMENT
BY THE
INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY
|
April 10, 2007
Dear residents of
KwaZulu Natal,
As someone who has dedicated my life to the struggle for self-determination of the people of this province, I am fully aware that all is not well with the 100,000 residents in the former East Griqualand which comprises the towns and surrounding areas of Maluti, Matatiele and Cedarville. If incorporated into the Eastern Cape, these people would be sidelined, the region would be trailing in receiving basic municipal services and, as a result, development in many areas would come to a halt. There are good reasons for granting these people their wish by keeping them in KwaZulu Natal. Theirs is a rich, developed agricultural area while the Eastern Cape can offer them nothing but a shambolic administration. Furthermore, the lawmakers in Pietermaritzburg are only two hours away compared with the seven hours it takes to reach Bisho. The fact that the people of Matatiele mobilised against the decision imposed on them from above by a petition and by public protest is in itself a triumph of civil society. Like them, the IFP feels that the process set in motion by the government against the express wishes of the public is reminiscent of apartheid-era forced removals. For all its tactical obsession with public hearings, the ANC-led KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Parliament failed to adequately consult the affected communities when considering the cross-border municipality legislation as required by the Constitution. The Constitutional Court subsequently ruled invalid all legislation that sought to change the boundaries between the two provinces. The IFP's commitment to the people's right to self-determination cannot allow us to act as mere observers in this real-life drama which smacks of injustice. We pledge to support the moral right of the people of Matatiele to choose where they want to belong. My message today is loud and clear: the IFP will stand by our brothers and sisters in Matatiele! Dr Lionel Mtshali MPP Leader of the Official Opposition Contact: Dr Lionel Mtshali, 083 256 4902 |