Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) founder, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, has denied that he is using his position as Traditional Prime Minister of the AmaZulu tribe to help the IFP gain votes in the upcoming municipal elections.
Buthelezi is addressing the media in Durban in reaction to recent attacks from the African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal.
The IFP was recently criticised for a poster it circulated in support of traditional leadership.
Buthelezi says the ANC’s accusations about his position as Traditional Prime Minister is not new.
He says he is serving in this position without any financial gain.
Buthelezi has, however, expressed concern about the ANC’s silence at a national level as the party in the province is tearing his legacy down, as he put it.
“I’ve never needed nor used the royal family as a prop in my political life, why should accusations like this cause me to retreat? Why should I retreat? As I’ve said, ladies and gentlemen, I’m not a coward. I was not born a coward.”
Phoenix
On Tuesday, Buthelezi said it is disturbing that some political parties have used the killings in Phoenix during the July unrest, to gain votes.
He joined the party’s campaign and called for unity.
In the video below, Buthelezi says politicians should not divide communities:
