IFP President Velenkosini Hlabisa during a press briefing at Durban Manor Hotel on Friday speaking about the mic-grabbing incident. | Khaya Ngwenya/ Independent Newspapers
Durban — The IFP says it is willing to take corrective measures and settle the tension with the ANC caused by the microphone-grabbing incident.
The incident occurred last Saturday at KwaCeza, at the commemoration of the 110th anniversary of the death of King Dinuzulu KaCetshwayo.
Provincial ANC chairperson Siboniso Duma grabbed the microphone from Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, traditional prime minister to the Zulu monarch and a leader of the IFP, in disagreement with his utterances.
Present, among other key delegates, were King Misuzulu kaZwelithini and President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Some members of the ruling party alleged they were beaten up by some of those from the IFP after the event, further fuelling political tensions.
At a press conference on Friday IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa said the party understood that it was the king’s prerogative to appoint his prime minister and that if the king was concerned by his prime minister’s conduct, that was for the king to address.
“It is not the role of any politician to tell His Majesty what his prime minister can and cannot say. It is also not for any politician to question His Majesty’s authority or wisdom in appointing his prime minister,” he said.
Hlabisa said the subsequent public statement made by Duma that the government did not recognise the position of traditional prime minister and that he had no bearing was unfortunate and added insult to injury.
He said the party believed this position was of utmost importance and that they supported Buthelezi in his new role.
Speaking on the allegations of assault, Hlabisa said he was yet to receive concrete information about the accusations.
“In response, I requested information from the ANC on who these alleged IFP members were and in what way they were identified as IFP members, as this was not an IFP event but a government event, and attendees were not wearing IFP regalia. To date, that information has still not been provided. Yet the ANC has pressed on with the narrative of alleged IFP violence against their members,” he said.
Hlabisa said he received a letter from ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo regarding “peace talks” and that on Thursday, he wrote to the ANC president with recommendations on how to tackle the KwaCeza incident.
“I requested that our parties nominate three members of our respective NEC’s and these three members will jointly facilitate the engagement of our PECs in KZN, to ensure that we deliver the sustainable and desired result. We are now awaiting the response,” he said. Hlabisa said he conveyed the above information to Mtolo.
Hlabisa said he was concerned KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube was “peddling unfounded allegations against the IFP”, and called upon her to desist.
He said the IFP was committed to peace and stability as the elections approached, and any suggestion of political violence must be dealt with.
Sunday Tribune