President Thabo Mbeki was turned away by a chief in rural KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday in a bid to avoid possible tension between supporters of the Inkatha Freedom Party and the African National Congress.
Mbeki was on his way to pay his respects to Chief Ngcobo in Mafunze when he was asked not visit the chief.
Mbeki, campaigning for the ANC, told reporters the chief was happy that he was in the area and talk to members of the community. However he did not want to be seen as supporting the ANC in Mafunze, an IFP stronghold about 50km from Pietermaritzburg.
The chief apparently sent a messenger to Mbeki, telling him that he should not come into his, the chief’s, house.
Mbeki accepted the request and addressed a crowd not far from the chief’s house.
Members of the community reported that some of them had been beaten by IFP members earlier in the day.
The police did not want to go on the record on the matter.
A South African Press Association (Sapa) reporter however could see police barricades about a kilometre away, keeping IFP supporters away from the gathering addressed by Mbeki.
Mbeki told ANC supporters they should rectify their mistake of voting for the IFP in the previous election by voting for the ANC. – Sapa