IFP’s last-gasp bid to keep KZN

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Lionel Mtshali has called a special sitting of the KwaZulu-Natal legislature next week to vote on the dissolution of the legislature, in preparation for a provincial election.

At the time of going to press, the provincial chief whips of the various political parties in the legislature had yet to receive official notice of the agenda for the sitting, which is scheduled to take place in Pieter-maritzburg next Wednesday.

However, legislature spokesperson Malusi Mnguni confirmed that Mtshali would table a motion todissolve the legislature. Mtshali is expected to make a speech announcing a provincial election.

The move to dissolve has the support of the Democratic Alliance and the United Democratic Movement in the legislature, giving Mtshali the strength to carry the motion. The three parties are also expected to enter an electoral pact.

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said holding elections was a ‘better option than stealing votes” by allowing provincial legislature members to cross the floor in terms of new legislation expected early this year. He said the people had the right to ‘test the so-called realignment of politics”.

The African National Congress’s KwaZulu-Natal deputy chairperson, Zweli Mkhize, said the dissolution was not a step towards ‘good governance”, adding that political differences should be resolved through party structures rather than by subjecting the province and its people to ‘uncertainty”.

The move to dissolve the legislature follows attempts by the ANC to gain majority control of the province through floor-crossing legislation. As KwaZulu-Natal is the Inkatha Freedom Party’s stronghold, this threatens its survival.

When the legislation was introduced earlier this year, two members each from the IFP and the DA, and one from the UDM, defected to the ANC, giving it the required majority to form a government on its own. The legislation was thrown out by the Constitutional Court on technical grounds.

However, an amended Bill is to be tabled in Parliament this month — which explains why the IFP is moving so swiftly on a provincial election.

In the KwaZulu-Natal legislature, the IFP has 34 seats, the DA seven and the UDM one, together representing 53%. Against this, the ANC can muster 32 seats of its own and two each belonging to the New National Party and the Minority Front.

The African Christian Democratic Party’s sole representative in the legislature, Jo-Anne Downs, is overseas and is not expected to attend the proceedings.

The IFP and the DA have dismissed a warning by President Thabo Mbeki at the ANC’s conference last month that there is no legislation that allows for a provincial election before the scheduled nationwide poll next year. Both the IFP and the DA believe the Constitution gives Mtshali the power to call one.

A month ago, Mtshali fired two ANC ministers from the KwaZulu-Natal coalition cabinet. The Mail & Guardian has reported that in a letter to Mbeki, IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi insisted his party will not reinstate the ANC MECs [The IFP’s Christmas threat].

Mkhize said the firing of the two MECs was not in the best interest of the province. By the time the new ministers had learnt the ropes, which would take at least six months, all political parties would be involved in campaigning for next year’s general election.

There is speculation in KwaZulu-Natal that the national government may use clause 100 of the Constitution and seize control of the province. However, Holomisa dismissed the speculation, saying that the ANC would have to establish ‘very strong grounds to do so, as KwaZulu-Natal is a well-run province”.

The UDM would fill the vacancy left by the defection of its legislature member before the Wednesday vote, Holomisa said.

The M&G was unable to obtain official IFP and DA comment on Thursday. Earlier in the week, the DA’s provincial leader, Roger Burrows, confirmed his party had discussed the dissolutuion of the legislature with the IFP.

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