Newly elected Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) provincial chairperson, Thamsanqa Ntuli, has dismissed claims that he was handpicked by party leader, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Ntuli was elected at the provincial elective conference that was held over the weekend in Ulundi in northern KwaZulu Natal.
He says Buthelezi as a member of a branch has every right to nominate whoever he sees fit for any position.
“In fact the IFP provincial conference gave the opportunity to the delegates to elect the new leadership including myself, who was nominated by the structures. In fact the leader of the IFP only gave his view about the future of the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The delegates are the ones who nominated and they are the ones who voted. The process was free, fair and democratic,” says Ntuli.
Ntuli also denied reports that some delegates stormed out of the conference after Buthelezi nominated him for the provincial leader position.
“Even the notion that there were some delegates who left the conference is not true. In fact, the tent where we had our conference was full until the end of the conference. There was no reason for them to leave, they had the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights. I think what need not to run away from is the fact that the IFP had a peaceful and a successful conference which has paved the brighter future for our party in KwaZulu-Natal,” says Ntuli.
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