The Inkatha Freedom Party should desist from politicising criminal incidents in KwaZulu-Natal to enhance its campaigning for the local government elections, the African National Congress said on Wednesday.
”The ANC would like to urge the IFP to desist from making statements that are likely to raise unnecessary political temperatures,” said ANC provincial spokesperson Mtholephi Mthimkhulu.
However, the IFP denied the allegation, saying the ANC should have its facts right before releasing statements.
”We have our facts right. We are not here to play games and we are not politicising anything,” said IFP deputy national chairperson Velaphi Ndlovu.
Mthimkhulu said that last week two people, both allegedly IFP members, were involved in a quarrel, and one of them was stabbed to death in the Greytown area.
The person who was killed was wearing an IFP T-shirt.
”The IFP has now intentionally decided to turn this criminal incident into a politically motivated one.
”The mayor of Umvoti, Petros Ngubane, is alleging that the man who was stabbed wearing the IFP T-shirt was killed because he was IFP and that the man allegedly responsible for the killing is an ANC supporter.
”The mayor has further falsely accused the ANC of political intolerance largely because of this incident,” he said.
Recently, two ANC activists were attacked while putting up election posters at Umlazi, south of Durban, by men who wanted to rob them of their pickup van, which was full of posters.
Mthimkhulu said the ANC had correctly treated this incident as plain crime and had not said the attackers were IFP supporters.
However, Ndlovu said the IFP fully backs the mayor’s assertions.
”An IFP person cannot stab another IFP person, especially at this time. It is a ludicrous [suggestion],” he said.
Ndlovu accused the ANC of being in denial regarding any of its members being involved in politically motivated crimes.
”We are not politicising anything. The matter is already politicised.” — Sapa