The IFP has bowed to an ANC demand that it oust Thulasizwe Buthelezi as KwaZulu-Natal MEC for co-operative governance & traditional affairs or face the collapse of the provincial coalition government.
At a meeting of the IFP’s national executive committee tomorrow, premier Thami Ntuli is expected to announce that Buthelezi will swap posts with his party colleague, sport, arts & culture MEC Mntomuhle Khawula.
Insiders told the Sunday Times that the reshuffle follows an ultimatum issued by the ANC two weeks ago at a meeting between Ntuli — who is provincial chair of the IFP — and the ANC’s provincial co-ordinator, Mike Mabuyakhulu.
The two parties met again yesterday to discuss the issue, with ANC top brass Fikile Mbalula and Gwede Mantashe getting involved. The outcome of this meeting was not known at the time of publication.
During the meeting two weeks ago, the ANC is said to have demanded that the IFP reinstate its mayor in uMkhanyakude district municipality and fire Buthelezi within seven days. The ANC is said to have threatened to pull out of the provincial government should the IFP fail to agree.
The tensions between the parties stem from their battle for control of municipalities. ANC leaders in the province believe the IFP has used its control of the Cogta portfolio to freeze the ANC out.
Most recently, the ANC thwarted plans by the IFP to oust Dannhauser mayor Bongani Hadebe and other ANC members through motions of no confidence. This followed an ANC initiative to remove an IFP speaker.
The ANC believes Buthelezi is the cause of the tensions. They say he is the mastermind and they blame him for swaying amakhosi, about 300 of them, back to the IFP.
— ANC insider
In uMkhanyakude, the IFP removed an ANC mayor — Siphile Mdaka — and replaced him with an Inkatha councillor. The ANC responded by tabling a motion of no confidence against the IFP’s uMvoti mayor.
“This is what triggered everything,” one source said.
“The ANC believes Buthelezi is the cause of the tensions. They say he is the mastermind and they blame him for swaying amakhosi, about 300 of them, back to the IFP.”
Another ANC insider said Ntuli had told the party he would do what it asked because he needed its support to survive a motion of no confidence that the MK Party plans to bring against him. This source said Ntuli’s concession showed who was “truly in charge” of the province.
“Ntuli... told us he is waiting for concurrence from the [IFP] NEC. We suspect that the NEC will agree begrudgingly. They don’t have a choice.”
The insider said Ntuli had offered to bring Mdaka back as deputy mayor of Umkhanyakude, but the ANC was not interested. “We are insisting that Mdaka come back to his original position [as mayor]. We want him back to where he was, and we will not drop this demand. The IFP cannot bully us.”
The sources said they suspected the MK Party would try to persuade ANC members in the provincial legislature to support the motion of no confidence against Ntuli.
One IFP insider said Inkatha was certain that some within the ANC were already in talks with the MK Party; however, the IFP believed Luthuli House would bar ANC members from voting with the MK Party.
Ivan Barnes, president of the National Freedom Party, which is a member of the provincial coalition government, said last week his party planned to swap sides and align itself with the MK Party. But the NFP is divided over the move. Its sole MEC, Mbali Shinga, who is provincial chair of the party, wants it to remain in the current coalition.
The Sunday Times has seen a letter that MK Party secretary-general Bongani Mncwango sent to Barnes last month in which Mncwango said the vote of no confidence against Ntuli “presents a significant opportunity for our parties to unite thoughtfully and strategically in pursuit of our shared vision”.
“Given the gravity of this occasion, I hereby formally request a meeting between our respective leadership teams ... This meeting will provide a platform to deliberate on the political strategy and collaborative approach that respects our values while advancing the interests of the people of KwaZulu-Natal.
“Through constructive engagement and united action, our parties can make a meaningful impact in addressing the challenges facing our province and in shaping a political future that reflects the aspirations of our people,” the letter said.
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