Supporters of the African National Congress (ANC) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) have clashed at Lindelani in KwaDukuza north of Durban.
Five ANC members have been hospitalised. However, the parties differ on who started the skirmish.
The ANC says their members were on a door to door campaign when they were attacked. The area is known as an IFP strong hold.
ANC Spokesperson, Nomagugu Simelane, says the party demands immediate action against the IFP for breaching the election code of conduct.
“Our members as we speak were embarking on a campaigning program, door to door visiting households and they are being stopped as we speak by members and supporters of the IFP. That has just escalated to them being physically attacked and a couple of our comrades being rushed to hospitals because they were injured. This is unprovoked, it’s just pure criminality. The IFP has decided that people must not campaign, only it must campaign,” says Simelane.
IFP’s General Secretary, Velenkosini Hlabisa, says the IFP members were provoked by the ANC. Hlabisa has called on both parties to tolerate each other and not to resort to violence.
“We have informed our members that even if they are provoked they must not fall into a trap, because it is common that a person provokes and when things do not go right for him or her he becomes the one who shouts that they have been attacked, yet he or she was the one who provoked the other. We are calling all political parties including our members and the ANC not to provoke each other, allow this election to be free and fair for people to decide who they want to elect,” says Hlabisa.
