ANC ultimatum 'confrontational'
2003-04-08 14:05
Pietermaritzburg - An ultimatum by the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal that three of its MECs - fired from the province's coalition government last year by premier Lionel Mtshali - be reinstated, is "unnecessarily confrontational", says the IFP.
In a statement on Tuesday, Inkatha Freedom Party national spokesperson Musa Zondi said this was because the issue was no longer in the provincial domain.
He was reacting to a provincial African National Congress demand, made late on Monday, that former housing MEC Dumisani Makhaye, economic development MEC Michael Mabuyakhulu and education MEC Gabriel Ndabandaba, be reinstated within 48 hours.
ANC provincial spokesperson Mtholephi Mthimkhulu said on Monday that if the premier did not accede to the demand, "we will take a step that will present itself then".
"I won't be specific now," he said, appearing not to rule out the possibility of a vote of no-confidence that would topple Mtshali's government.
The ANC holds the stronger hand in the provincial legislature, following a rash of defections from the IFP and the Democratic Alliance during the most recent floor-crossing window period that closed last week.
The ANC and its allies have 40 seats in the 80-member house, against the 38 seats held by the newly-formed IFP-DA partnership.
The United Democratic Movement and the African Christian Democratic Party, with a seat each, are positioned as the "king makers".
However, the ACDP indicated in a statement on Monday night that it would abstain from a vote of no-confidence.
On Tuesday, Zondi said the ANC's ultimatum was "illogical and only adds to the conflagration".
"The provincial ANC's ultimatum to premier Mtshali is only further adding confusion and creating confrontation, as the issue was effectively taken out of the provincial domain when President Thabo Mbeki met (IFP leader) Prince Mangosthu Buthelezi in Pretoria on December 3, 2002.
"At this meeting, the issue was discussed within the context of an eighteen-page memorandum that Prince Buthelezi presented to President Mbeki, which contextualised the firing of the two MECs within the series of events that have ruptured the relationship between the two parties.
"A meeting is due to take place between the two party leaders, at which President Mbeki will respond to the memorandum and the issues in question will be fleshed out," he said.
Zondi said the IFP would not be "blackmailed by having a gun put to its head by the provincial ANC".
- SAPA