IFP still wants Ulundi capital

2004-03-25 18:24

Durban - The Inkatha Freedom Party denied on Thursday it had shifted its position on wanting Ulundi to be the capital of KwaZulu-Natal.

IFP MPL Kamal Panday said: "The IFP, as a party, has deep roots in Ulundi... and we, as a party, would love Ulundi to be the capital.

"But, we believe that if there is going to be a change (in the location of the capital), everybody in the province must decide through a referendum."

Earlier in the day, the provincial African National Congress said it welcomed a change by the IFP on the issue.

This came after Panday told a radio station on Wednesday night that the capital was not an issue for the IFP during its election campaign.

Panday said on Thursday there were much greater issues at which his party was looking, such as HIV/Aids, unemployment and crime.

The IFP believed the issue of the capital should be addressed after the election.

IFP had the majority in 1994

After the first democratic election in 1994, the Cadman Commission was set up to decide where the capital should be as there was support in the province for Ulundi, the IFP's traditional stronghold, and Pietermaritzburg.

The commission recommended the legislature should be alternated between the two and, if this was to change, a referendum should be held for the citizens to decide where they wanted the capital.

Panday said: "In 1994, the IFP had 41 of the 80 seats (in the legislature). That meant we had 51% (in the legislature) and could have ignored what the commission decided, but we did not."

However in May 2002, Pietermaritzburg became the sole seat of the legislature.

This was after a resolution was passed in favour of Maritzburg by a multiparty committee.

It did not have the support of the IFP, who staged a walkout before the vote in the legislature.

Relations between the IFP and ANC, which both ruled KwaZulu-Natal through a coalition government at the time, became more strained.

'Shift' seen as accepting defeat

The IFP has since formed a "coalition for change" with the Democratic Alliance and all three parties now have MECs in the province.

Panday said that no matter which political party took the reins of the province after the election, a referendum would be the best way to decide on the capital.

ANC provincial spokesperson Mtholephi Mthimkhulu said his party viewed the "shift" as a clear indication the IFP was accepting defeat even before the polls on April 14.

- SAPA