SACP in KZN: IFP's ANC coalition U-turn 'political sabotage'
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in KwaZulu-Natal has described the Inkatha Freedom Party’s (IFP) sudden decision to back out of a post-election agreement with the African National Congress (ANC) in the province as political sabotage.
A week ago, IFP president Velenkosi Hlabisa said they had struck a deal with the ANC that would see the two parties supporting each other in hung councils where either of the party had won the most seats.
But on Monday, the IFP seemingly reneged on that deal when its councillors in Newcastle and uMvoti voted the ANC out.
The ANC also lost uMhlathuze on Tuesday when the IFP teamed up with other opposition parties and got the mayoral chain and the speaker position.
The party has now indicated it won't be supporting the ANC's mayoral candidate in eThekwini when the inaugural council meeting is reconvenes on Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking at a media briefing in Durban on Wednesday, the SACP's provincial secretary Themba Mthembu said the collapse of the ANC-IFP deal cannot be linked to the squabbles between the two parties in Abaqulusi.
"Some people were just waiting for a mistake to happen to collapse the agreement. To us it was sabotage what was agreed by the leaders of these two organisations was sabotaged by the people who done have people at heart."
