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IFP cautions again finger-pointing when politicians are attacked

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The Inkatha Freedom party (IFP) has called on political leaders to desist from finger pointing when politicians are attacked and allow police to do their work first.

The party’s Albert Mncwango was speaking during a meeting with IFP, National Freedom Party (NFP) and African National Congress ANC leaders following the recent shooting incidents at KwaMashu, north of Durban.

Mncwango cautioned against being quick to label every killing at the hostel as linked to politics, suggesting that there may also be criminal elements involved. He says the KwaMashu hostel has always been an area of lawlessness.

Mncwango says, “Police must be allowed to do their work and make arrests. As political parties we need to go all out and teach our members that 20 years into democracy there is no need for political intolerance. If the public is aware of any IFP member shooting, take that evidence to the police because we are also committed to seeing that criminals are removed from amongst our ranks.”

High crime levels and lack of political tolerance at the KwaMashu hostel have been raised as concerns during the meeting held with the NFP, IFP and the ANC to resolve tensions in the area north of Durban.

NFP provincial chairperson Vikizitha Mlotshwa says, “All political parties must be allowed to freely campaign anywhere to avoid violence flaring up. Each and every political party must do their own programme without fear. We request even if it’s outside KwaMashu, let’s allow all political parties to campaign wherever they want.”

KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Mamonye Ngobeni says, “They will be further intensifying police operations at the KwaMashu hostel to tackle criminal activities in that area.”

This comes after calls from the NFP for police to raid the hostel for firearms believed to be used in political killings.

The police presence has been beefed up at the hostel since the murder of NFP branch leader Ntombi Mzila on Monday.

Members of the Public Order Police and the National Intervention Unit have been deployed in the area.

Ngobeni says, “Some of the residents are cooperating with them and giving them information relating to the recent cases. Not only are we going to do patrols and roadblocks, we are going to be engaging in massive operations of searching the entire hostels, but the particular sections of the hostels that we will be focusing on, will be the areas informants have given us information on.”

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