26th June 2008

The African National Congress is still worshiping foreign gods in spiritual and cultural exile despite having returned to South Africa, according to Inkatha Freedom Party. The IFP made this charge today at the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature in Pietermaritzburg in a hot debate on the KwaZulu-Natal House of Traditional Leaders. In his speech, the IFP Member of the Legislature, iNkosi Ngamizizwe Madlala stated:

"The Minister reminded the Hon. iNkosi Mdletshe that the Public Entity status of the House is at his mercy! This is the true ANC colours! This is the attitude that differentiates the IFP from the ANC. On the one hand, you have the IFP born and bred on the soil of Africa. Having spent all its life in Africa the IFP is steeped in African humanism which charges it to respect things indigenous and African, including African institutions such as ubuKhosi. On the other hand, you have the ANC, which - though born on the African soil by indigenous leaders - was forced into exile and consequently had her soul and character uprooted from Africa and thus influenced by things foreign to Africa. Therefore despite the lip service the ANC pays to the African patterns and ways of thought, behaviour and life, it is spiritually and culturally still living in exile worshipping gods foreign to Africa. 

"This is the gist of the problem. To better understand it, you need to look at the history of upheavals between the traditional leadership in the whole country and our government since CODESA. If you doubt what I am saying just ask ordinary South Africans how they interpret a government position which says, less-than-16-year-old girls must never undergo virginity testing, while in the same breadth it allows 12-year-old girls to abort without even notifying their parents. Ask ordinary South Africans how they would interpret the government act which commissions a Cabinet Committee led by its Deputy State President to look into the concerns of traditional leaders. When that very Cabinet Committee says indeed the Constitution must be amended to accommodate their concerns, the same government reneges!

"Ask ordinary people of KwaZulu-Natal how they would interpret the act of a Premier who ridicules and belittles a solemn agreement signed by the President of his organization, Dr Mandela by derogatorily telling this House that there will be no International Mediation here, iNkatha must come and beg the ANC!".

INkosi Madlala further challenged the ANC to account for the circumstances which led to the resignation of its Member of Parliament iNkosi Zibuse Mlaba early in the year:

"Do you want another example? We had a Member in this House iNkosi Zibuse Mlaba. The circumstances which led to his resignation are still a mystery up to this day. Yes, we heard the political reasons for his resignation. But history is yet to tell us the real reasons behind his resignation. What is worse, in his place, the ANC did not put another iNkosi. Consequently, among all the ANC Members of this Parliament, no one is iNkosi! Just look at how many IFP Members of this Parliament are amaKhosi."     

"This makes us understand the deafening silence on the part of the ANC when Minister Mabuyakhulu plays party-political games with a public institution which is the custodian of our very being as uZulu. In short, until the ANC is struck by a lightning like the Apostle Paul, they will never do anything which promotes African forms of governance."

 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Joshua Mazibuko
072 927 0993