25 February 2010

The IFP says the ruling of the Constitutional Court on the Matatiele issue does not exonerate the ruling African National Congress from its responsibility to the people of Matatiele. According to the IFP, the Constitutional Court did not pronounce on the injustice meted out on the people of Matatiele when the ANC used its majority to run roughshod over their wishes. Expressing the IFP's position following yesterday's ruling, the IFP MPL who is Leader of the Opposition in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, Dr Bonginkosi Buthelezi said:

"We fully respect yesterday's ruling of the Constitutional Court on the issue of Matatiele. However in our view, the court did not exonerate the ANC from its responsibility to the people of the area.

"The court merely stated that the legislation was not unconstitutional and that it is not its prerogative to decide which province the people must live in. It did not get into the polemics of the argument especially on the fact that the ANC used its majority in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature to run roughshod over the people of Matatiele who had democratically stated their determination to remain in the KwaZulu-Natal Province.

"The IFP believe that this issue is not over yet because it is a political issue rather than a legal one. Its solution finally lies in the ANC doing justice by listening to the wishes of the majority of the Matatiele residents. As the IFP, we are still going to put pressure on the ruling party to desist from using the tyranny of its majority to ram their party-political decisions down the throats of the people of Matatiele."

For Further Information:

Dr Bonginkosi Buthelezi IFP MPL

Leader: KZN Official Opposition                             082 5160156