The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has made an about-turn on its decision not to form a coalition with the ANC. Addressing the media in Durban, the IFP says the agreement is that the party that received the most seats in a hung council will govern the municipality in question.
KwaZulu-Natal has 21 hung municipalities.
Earlier this month, IFP President Velenkosini Hlabisa told the media that the party would not be entering into coalitions with the ANC.
Hlabisa explained that this latest decision means that both political parties will assist each other where they have the majority in councils. But he says the agreement does not give the ruling party free reign over council affairs.
The IFP leader was expressing a departure from statements he made to the media earlier this month.
“But let me be upfront, where we will govern, as a leading partying (in) KwaZulu-Natal, we will not enter into a coalition with the ANC. This is for simple reason, the ANC has not been honest with us in the past. They have let us down, people of South Africa and the voters clearly expressed themselves when it comes to the ANC.”
Fast forward to two weeks later and the party has clearly changed its tune.
On the discussion between the ANC and the IFP at national level, Hlabisa says, “Despite there not being an outright majority in some municipalities, either the IFP gained the most seats or the ANC did. Thus, after frank discussions at national level with the ANC, we have come to a broad understanding that where the IFP has the most seats, despite no outright majority, the IFP will form the municipal government. Reciprocally, where the ANC has the most seats, despite no outright majority, the ANC will form the municipal government.”
The IFP managed to retain 13 councils in KwaZulu-Natal after the local government elections.
With the new coalition agreement in place, the IFP will control 24 of 54 councils.
Speaking to consultation with other smaller political parties, Hlabisa says their demands were unreasonable.
“What we experienced in many of the discussions we held over hung municipalities was not encouraging. Some political parties appeared to see themselves as kingmakers and felt entitled to make difficult demands. Some wanted the mayoral chain, others wanted to be speaker. At a fundamental level, this would be a manipulation of democracy, for these positions they want were not fairly won through the ballot box.”
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal says that coalition talks are being handled by the ruling party’s national leaders.
ANC Spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal Nhlakanipho Ntombela says they will only comment once it has seen the report of the coalition talks.
Inkatha Freedom Party holds media briefing:
