Elections 2009
Statement by Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi
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Durban : 24th April 2009
I have asked for this press conference in order to clarify the issue of the allegations concerning the printing of ballots in Pietermaritzburg. I feel that I need to do so because of the fact that the Premier has been on national television threatening to take legal steps against me for reporting the matter to the African Union Monitor, President of Nigeria, Olusegum Obasanjo.
I received such information from impeccable sources and felt that it was reliable enough for me to report it to former President Obasanjo. Following that, I then received the letter from the Premiers attorneys, which he claimed was based on what I had told President Obasanjo about the ballot papers. My attorneys responded to the letter after I instructed them. I released those letters. I explained on SABC television that I never suggested to President Obasanjo that the Premier himself printed the ballots nor did I suggest that he knew anything about the printing of the ballots. Moreover I stated that my information was that these ballots were printed at night from 18h00 to 03h00 the following day. These are hours when the Premier would not be in his office.
However after ballot papers were found before the elections in Mpumalanga and Limpopo that convinced me that the information that I received was correct because I was told that some of these ballots were sent to Mpumalanga province and Limpopo and then there were other ballots that were discovered in Ulundi in a box as if some people had voted for the IFP. Since our National Chairperson, Mrs Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi released a statement explaining who the suspect was, I have nothing to add except to state that these were dirty tricks by those who are involved in the scam of these ballot papers.
I am convinced that my information was accurate and that this did happen. After all when I met with Dr Brigalia Bam, the Chairperson of the IEC and members of the Commission on the 31st March 2008 in the presence of members of the IFP National Council, I referred to the various incidents of rigging and fraud, since 1994. This included the incident where ballots were found in uMkhanyakude District in 2004 and the person involved was a teacher who was a member of SADTU and of the ANC. To play down this issue and to trivialise it as some in the media has already been doing is not in the interests of democracy and free and fair elections in the future.
There has for instance been a complaint right here in Durban where more people voted than those who registered to vote. I think the media is doing South Africa a disservice in trying to sweep this issue of the ballots under the carpet. I wish to state that apart from this and intimidation of our members by the National Intervention Unit of the police I do accept that the people of South Africa have spoken, and since I have taken up the matter through official channels and through the head of the monitoring team President Obosanjo I have nothing more to add.
In the absence of a response from the IEC I stand by a statement that I made that ballots were printed in Pietermaritzburg and were used in the 2009 elections.
I congratulate the ANC on its success in the election and I extend my good wishes to Mr Jacob Zuma as he embarks on the onerous task of forming a new government.
The ANC, however, should not mistake the voters message. South Africans were not saying they were happy with the status quo. They are not. They are not happy with declining service delivery or increasing corruption or the vast gap between rich and poor. In fact South Africans are crying out for change so that these problems can be addressed.
At this election the people have decided not to change their government but to give the ANC another chance to change its attitude and start to live up to the trust that has been placed in it. I hope for the sake of the South African people that that they live up to that trust.
It is time for the ANC to understand that if the dreams we all held for a democratic South Africa are to be fulfilled, corrupt politicians and officials must be rooted out, the crippling levels of unemployment must be dealt with and poverty eradication must become the number one priority. It is time for the ANC to stop looking after itself and start looking after the interests of the South African people.
The IFP has not secured the number of votes in this election which I would have hoped for and we will need to listen and learn from what the electorate has to tell us. But I am not despondent, for the IFP has faced greater odds in the past and we have always shown that our greatest strength is in adversity. I have no doubt that we shall do so again.
Today begins the dawn of a new chapter for the IFP, we will refocus our efforts and rebuild and be in no doubt that I will not cease for one moment in the campaign I have waged for over half a century to create a just, prosperous and moral future for South Africa. So you will find me next month, next year and far into the future campaigning day in and day out for the interests of the poorest people in this country and holding the ANC to account whenever it fails to deliver on their hope and dreams. That is my commitment to South Africa.
I thank you.
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