Inkatha Freedom Party president Mangosuthu Buthelezi has charged that the African National Congress in KwaZulu-Natal also has a massive, hidden arms cache at its disposal.
He was responding to an article in the Mail & Guardian,/i> last week, which revealed that the state investigative unit, the Scorpions, is hunting for an Inkatha arsenal that was set up in the early 1990s.
Attacking the article at the IFP Women’s Brigade conference in Ulundi at the weekend, Buthelezi explained that the Inkatha arms cache had been procured by IFP member Phillip Powell. He said the weapons had originally been destined for Jonas Savimbi, then leader of the Angolan rebel movement Unita, who died last year. He said he and other IFP leaders had no knowledge of the procurement.
Buthelezi also revealed that he had met with former ANC Midlands leader Sifiso Nkabinde two days before he was killed in February 1999. According to Buthelezi, Nkabinde had told him that the ANC still had “massive hidden arms caches at its disposal”.
ANC KwaZulu-Natal leader S’bu Ndebele disputed the claim and questioned why Buthelezi had not disclosed all this information at the safety and security cluster, on which, as minister of home affairs, he serves. Ndebele said he would be raising the issue with the Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula.
Contrary to reports of a rift between IFP national chair Lionel Mtshali and Buthelezi, the former remains the IFP’s candidate for the premiership of KwaZulu-Natal next year.
This rift was caused by Buthelezi’s unprecedented criticism of Mtshali’s inability to accommodate IFP heavyweight Celani Mtetwa in the legislature. Mtetwa was to be appointed royal high commissioner — to liaise between King Goodwill Zwelithini and the provincial government. Buthelezi’s ire had been raised by Mtshali’s decision to place the position of high commissioner in the royal household and not in the legislature.
The royal household falls under Mtshali’s department. Insiders said Buthelezi had wanted Mtetwa to remain in the legislature to be one of his “reliable eyes”. Ironically, the ANC, too, objected to Mtetwa reporting to Mtshali’s office.
Senior IFP members pointed out that there has been animosity between Mtshali and Mtetwa, particularly over the party’s relationship with the ANC.
In his address to the IFP Women’s Brigade Buthelezi said: “The relationship between Premier Mtshali and myself is unbreakable and not subject to being undermined. It has my full confidence.” IFP insiders this week described Buthelezi’s statement of support for Mtshali as “genuine”.
Some said Buthelezi’s criticism of Mtshali was an attempt to appease Mtetwa, who is an “untouchable” in the party.
Mtetwa, a skilled negotiator, has maintained an open-door policy, with the ANC, which Buthelezi, as part of the ANC-led national government, has found useful.
On the other hand Buthelezi appreciates Mtshali’s hard-line attitude towards the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, which the IFP is hoping to win, with the Democratic Alliance’s support, in elections next year.