NFP an ANC clone - IFP youth
2011-05-31 19:00
Durban - The NFP was an ANC clone used by the ruling party to wrest away IFP-led municipalities, the Inkatha Freedom Party Youth Brigade (IFPYB) said on Tuesday.
"Unable to wrestle control from the IFP democratically, they have now succeeded in doing so through its clone, the NFP," said IFPYB chairperson, Mkhuleko Hlengwa.
He was addressing the media on the coalition pact announced on Monday by the African National Congress and the Inkatha Freedom Party breakaway party, the National Freedom Party (NFP).
Hlengwa reiterated the accusation made by the IFP before the May 18 elections that the NFP was an ANC-funded project aimed at destabilising the IFP. It was the same accusation that became a stumbling block for the start of coalition talks between the NFP and IFP last week.
When the IFP approached the NFP for coalition talks, the latter demanded an apology for the accusation.
Hlengwa said his party was not prepared to apologise, saying that the NFP had also said bad things about the IFP which it felt had similar weight to what the NFP said.
"The NFP just created a stumbling block because it did not want to form a coalition with us. They knew we were not going to apologise," he said.
Stronger showing
The May 18 elections resulted in 19 hung municipalities and the NFP was a kingmaker. The NFP and ANC pact has left the IFP with only two municipalities in South Africa. It had 32 municipalities during the 2006 local government elections.
Hlengwa said the NFP and ANC had not negotiated in good faith. The IFP had also approached the ANC to form coalitions, but they were turned down by the ruling party.
The pact between the NFP and the ANC proved that the NFP was an ANC project, Hlengwa said.
"We repeatedly warned that a vote for the NFP is a vote for the ANC. Yesterday our concerns were confirmed," he said.
He described the ANC as an undemocratic organisation which did not tolerate opposition.
"It will stop at nothing to get rid of those that stand in their way," he said.
Hlengwa said the ANC and NFP coalition would inspire his organisation to work hard to garner votes before the 2014 general elections.
"It will inspire the youth to work harder. Come 2014, in the interest of democracy, in the interest of our people the IFP will be back with a stronger showing and we will dislodge this coalition forever."
- SAPA
