OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Monday 9.00am.
SAM NXUMALO was elected on Sunday to take over as chairman of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) in KwaZulu-Natal from Sifiso Nkabinde, who was assassinated Richmond last month, party spokeswoman Annelise van Wyk said.
The new leader of South Africa’s youngest political party promised peace between his own party and its rivals in the area.
Nxumalo, a former ANC councillor, Sunday told party supporters: “My role will be to make people identify with the UDM. That will be characterised by peace. We will do it without harming other organisations, without harming anybody.”
Nxumalo was adding his voice to that of President Nelson Mandela and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi who Saturday called for peace following the killing of nine people in the province in recent days.
The death of three of the victims is said to be linked to renewed fighting between IFP and ANC supporters. Those two parties in 1996 signed a peace pact in KwaZulu-Natal but it has failed to end political violence in the IFP controlled province.