The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has failed to abide by agreements made with the IFP to tackle alleged incidents of electoral violence and ensure that elections are conducted in a peaceful environment. Instead they have embarked upon a process of disinformation, propaganda and provocation. 

On Monday, March the 9th, the IFP and ANC met and agreed to work together to deal with issues of potential conflict and established a Joint Contact Committee (JCC) for this purpose. The IFP and ANC further agreed to establish similar structures at local level. 

Unfortunately despite this agreement, ANC attempts to intimidate, provoke and slander the IFP have continued. Today the ANC used a press conference to make a number of allegations against the IFP in violation of the procedures agreed between the senior leaders of the party. None of these allegations had been raised by the ANC provincial secretary with his provincial counterpart in the IFP as per the agreement of Monday 9th March.  

The IFP has committed itself to the procedures agreed by the leadership of both parties and is sick and tired of the total lack of faith that the ANC has demonstrated in seeking to create a peaceful atmosphere for the elections.  

The ANC has consistently attacked and provoked IFP members, disrupted our meetings and intimidated our supporters. In the case of Greytown, they are failing to tell the truth of what happened. On Sunday, an ANC councillor, Mr Mavundla (who was himself part of the ANC delegation to the JCC meeting) and ANC supporters took over a meeting hall intended for a municipal function and tried to force people attending to wear ANC T-shirts. As a result the municipal function had to be moved to an alternative venue. When IFP supporters returned to their townships the roads were blocked and they were attacked by the ANC.

IFP supporters only responded after being attacked. We challenge the ANC to show the full footage of what happened in Greytown.  

The ANC has been misusing government functions, intimidating political parties and using violence against political opponents with ever increasing frequency.

The world should know that throughout South Africa the common denominator to political violence is the ANC. 

It is becoming evident that the ANC is now realising that its electoral fortunes in Kwa-Zulu-Natal are slipping away and is resorting to desperate gutter electioneering tactics to attack and slander the IFP and other parties.  

We will not be intimidated and we will continue campaigning for change in South Africa. 

Contact:
Albert Mncwango
083 448 4896
or Liezl van der Merwe
083 611 7470.