Jaspreet Kindra
In a possible step towards a political realignment, the African National Congress’s leader in KwaZulu-Natal, S’bu Ndebele, has attacked the Inkatha Freedom Party for reneging on a post-election promise to give the ANC more provincial cabinet posts.
ANC sources view Ndebele’s criticism as a strategic move to put some distance between the two parties, and a step towards a provincial alliance with the New National Party. It comes against the background of the ANC’s burgeoning relationship at national level with the NNP.
Ndebele tabled a long list of grievances with the IFP at an ANC provincial general council meeting over the weekend, which he said should be resolved to maintain peace in the province. At the same meeting, he also hinted at developing his party’s relationship with the NNP.
Ndebele drew comparisons with the Western Cape, where the DP has four MECs despite having only five members in the legislature. In KwaZulu-Natal the ANC has four MECs compared to Inkatha’s six and the premier’s post when both parties have 34 legislature members.
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is apparently considering entering a partnership with the NNP, which has three seats in the legislature and may acquire more if floor-crossing legislation is introduced. With the likelihood of the ANC taking charge in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal remains the only province outside ANC control.
The ANC and the IFP signed a coalition agreement after the general elections in June 1999. Central to this was the provincial constitution, which it was agreed would address the issues of a balanced provincial cabinet and the role of the monarchy.
At the weekend meeting Ndebele complained that the legislature’s constitutional committee, responsible for drafting the provincial constitution, did not meet for over a year after July 1999. He claimed the chair of the committee “had instructions to either not convene the committee or filibuster, but in any case render this position a sinecure”.
IFP national spokesperson Musa Zondi said Ndebele should raise these issues with his provincial counterparts in the IFP. He said the IFP was committed to drafting a provincial constitution and dismissed allegations of reneging on its promise.
IFP sources say that according to a resolution adopted by the party’s national council earlier this year, the constitution should be ready by March next year. Moses Khubisa, chair of the constitutional committee, said the issue was being discussed in ANC-IFP meetings.
Ndebele paints a revealing picture of the 1999 post-election negotiations with the IFP: “The ANC had put forward the view that the executive was led by the IFP, the legislature had to be led by the ANC with the IFP as deputy. Essentially, the IFP put the case that it already had six MECs based on its majority status of 1994 to 1999. The ANC on the other hand had three MECs.” The ANC, he notes, was considerate in not seeking immediate balance, as it would force the IFP to remove MECs. But, “even as we were negotiating with the IFP team appointed by its president, another team was attempting an accommodation with the DP”, says Ndebele.
The IFP, Ndebele states, effectively lost the elections in June 1999: “The only basis for ruling is an electoral mandate. Without an electoral mandate to govern the only other way to retain some power is through a mutual agreement with another party … The IFP has neither an electoral mandate nor an agreement.”
IFP sources have in the meantime attacked the ANC for using King Goodwill Zwelithini as an “asset, when he clearly is a liability”.
Zondi has in the past indicated that the IFP envisages a “ceremonial head-like role”, in line with Queen Elizabeth II’s position, for Zwelithini to be inscribed in the Constitution. The IFP alleges that Zwelithini has been promised a “chief executive king’s position” by the ANC.