The African National Congress’ leadership will meet with the Inkatha Freedom Party on Tuesday to get clarity on why two ANC MECs were sacked from the KwaZulu-Natal cabinet, the ANC’s National Working Committee said on Monday.
ANC representative Smuts Ngonyama said the meeting would take place on Tuesday but the venue had not been confirmed.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Lionel Mtshali fired Housing MEC Dumisani Makhaye and Economic Affairs and Tourism MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu from his cabinet last week replacing them with two Democratic Alliance members.
After a meeting in Johannesburg on Monday, the ANC’s National Working Committee issued a statement condemning Mtshali’s decision.
”In this regard, the committee strongly condemned this decision as being unprovoked and unwarranted,” the committee said.
The committee said this unilateral decision flew in the face of the coalition agreement between the ANC and the IFP, ”which is based on the resolutions adopted at the ANC National Conference of 1997 and the IFP Conference of 1998”.
”These conferences characterised the relation between the two parties as a necessary relation of parties that must work together for the upliftment of the oppressed masses in general, and the rural poor in particular.”
The ANC warned on Friday that the replacement of the MECs could lead to a review of its power-sharing deal with the IFP at national level.
The IFP currently has three full national Cabinet posts, including the home affairs portfolio held by party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi. Inkatha Freedom Party representative Musa Zondi said he knew nothing about a meeting between ANC and IFP senior leadership.
”I am not aware of the meeting. Maybe I am yet to be informed.”
He refused to comment on the issue saying ”nothing new” had been come out of the ANC National Working Committee meeting. – Sapa