ANC WORKS HARD TO DESTABILISE KZN

MEDIA STATEMENT ISSUED BY:
DR LIONEL MTSHALI
IFP LEADER, KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT

October 26, 2006

"In yet another crude personal attack, driven my his passionate hatred of me, Mr ME Mthimkhulu, ANC Chief Whip in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Parliament, accused me, in a parliamentary motion, of abdicating my responsibility as Chairperson of Community Safety and Liaison by not condemning the unlawful occupation of a farm at Nyoni by unintegrated military forces.

"The Chief Whip went as far as to ascribe my apparent silence on the matter to my alleged complicity with these unintegrated forces. In one breath, he also accused me of destabilising peace in our province. Mr Mthimkhulu's statements and the reasoning behind them are not supported by facts.

"The Community Safety and Liaison portfolio Committee, which I chair, has dealt with the matter of unintegrated military forces at Nyoni during three particular scheduled meetings. The matter has been properly reported and investigated by the relevant authorities, including the SANDF, in the presence of such heavyweights as the Provincial Police Commissioner and KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Community Safety and Liaison.

"The SANDF concluded its investigation of the matter by stating that it was not familiar with any military training or recruitment, as raised by Inkosi KW Mathaba at a portfolio committee meeting. The SANDF further believed the gathered people could be former soldiers who were organising themselves.

"Linking these individuals with my political activity or that of my party, the IFP, as Mr Mthimkhulu has done, would be plain silly, if it was not irresponsible at the same time. I am sad to conclude that it is Mr Mthimkhulu, not I, who works hard to destabilise KwaZulu-Natal by fomenting conflict between the province's two largest political parties."



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr LPHM Mtshali, 083 256 4902