IFP mayor says party will not be ‘held at ransom’ by NFP

By Celani Sikhakhane

• Mkhonyovu Khumalo said the IFP cannot be controlled by the NFP which has only one seat in Zululand District Municipality.

• The NFP withdrew from talks and wants one-on-one meetings with coalition partners before it rejoins KwaZulu-Natal’s Government of Provincial Unity.

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) mayor in Zululand has rejected demands from the National Freedom Party (NFP) over coalition arrangements.

Mkhonyovu Khumalo, the District Mayor of Zululand, spoke at a municipality event. He said the IFP will not be held at ransom by the NFP.

“How could you be accused of bribing a councillor with only one seat? Actually we can’t be held at ransom by the NFP,” Khumalo said.

He denied accusations that the IFP bribed an NFP councillor to vote with the party. The NFP has one seat in Zululand District Municipality.

Tensions between the IFP and NFP are growing over the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) in KwaZulu-Natal.

The NFP withdrew from a meeting of GPU partners this week. The Democratic Alliance (DA) called the meeting to save the coalition.

The NFP said it will only attend after meeting with all GPU parties individually. The party said it wants one-on-one meetings to explain why it withdrew from the GPU.

The NFP claims the IFP is snubbing its request for direct talks.

The IFP is now engaging the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to join the GPU. The two parties worked together in uMkhanyakude District last year. The IFP offered the EFF the position of Deputy Mayor in uMkhanyakude.

The NFP sent a letter to the DA about its position.

“The NFP has resolved to meet with GPU partners individually to explain the reasons for our withdrawal from the GPU,” the letter said.

The letter said the African National Congress (ANC) and DA agreed to meet. But the IFP has not agreed.

The NFP said this shows the IFP does not take it seriously.

The letter said the IFP’s public statements suggest the party’s withdrawal “poses no threat or consequence to the GPU”. The letter said these statements show “a continued undermining of the NFP and its leadership”.

Pictured above: Mkhonyovu Khumalo.

Image source: Zululand District Municipality