18 March 2010

STATEMENT BY
REV MUSA ZONDI MP
IFP NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON

The IFP would like to set the record straight regarding media reports that plans are afoot to suspend its National Chairperson, Zanele kwaMagwaza-Msibi, ahead of the IFP's Annual General Conference at the end of May.

An article published in the Daily News yesterday peddled these unfounded allegations.

"I would like to state categorically that the IFP leadership remains a united force and that there have never been plans to suspend any of our leaders. These allegations are nothing more than malicious rumours aimed at harming the IFP's public image," said Rev Musa Zondi, the IFP's National spokesperson today. 

Reverend Zondi continued: "We are calling on the Media to refrain from quoting sources that have no association with the IFP. The group making these baseless allegations, the Friends of Unity, Democracy and Change, is not a formal IFP structure and therefore has no mandate to speak on internal matters of the IFP. It is clear that this rogue organisation has one sole aim - to disseminate lies about the IFP through the media in order to pursue a rift within the party's ranks," said Reverend Zondi. 

Shockingly, the paper also failed to solicit an official response from an IFP spokesperson. 

"We are totally dismayed that several media institutions are continuously publishing stories about the IFP, in which serious allegations are made, without giving the IFP an opportunity to respond. Surely, this is not responsible journalism ?" asked Reverend Zondi. 

Zondi added that the failure of the media to take note of IFP press statements, reaffirming party unity, was suspicious to say the least. 

"We have as a party declared time and time again that we call on all those spreading false rumours to stop their mischief and to refrain from driving their own political agenda. The IFP leadership, including the National Chairperson, has on numerous occasions said that it is now the time for the rank and file of the IFP to work towards uniting the party, not dividing it.

These statements are often ignored by the media so we are again reiterating that call today with the hope that this message is finally understood, loudly and clearly," concluded Rev Zondi.