The remaining two Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) ministers in the KwaZulu-Natal cabinet were fired on Wednesday and replaced with stalwarts from the African National Congress (ANC).
KwaZulu-Natal premier Sbu Ndebele also axed the ANC’s Gabriel Ndabandaba, the agricultural and environmental affairs provincial minister.
The two IFP provincial ministers who lost their posts were social welfare provincial minister Nyanga Ngubane and public works provincial minister Blessed Gwala.
Ndebele made the announcement in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday.
Following the 2004 election, the ANC took control of the province. The IFP, which had ruled the province since 1994, were given three posts in the new cabinet.
In 2005, the IFP’s popular Narend Singh stepped down from the arts, culture and tourism portfolio when it emerged that he was having an affair with a married Durban socialite. Singh was replaced by Weziwe Thusi.
At a press conference held on Wednesday afternoon, Ndebele said: ”An issue that has never been satisfactorily resolved has been the inability of the IFP to extend the relationship to the local government level.
”This matter has been discussed for the several years without resolution and yet disagreements at that level have always bedevilled the relationship at the national and provincial level.
”During the two years of my premiership, our two parties have engaged in bilateral meetings towards creating a government in which the ANC and the IFP, two parties deriving support from the majority of our people, would work with each other instead of ganging up against each other.
”But the relentless action of undermining and distorting the democratic mandate at local government level by the IFP has left me, as premier and leader of the party that got the majority of the popular vote at both the provincial and local government elections in 2004 and 2006, with no option.”
Ndebele’s decision followed the taking over of the Ndwedwe Municipality on Friday afternoon by an IFP, National Democratic Convention (Nadeco) and Democratic Alliance coalition. Ndwedwe is immediately north of Durban. This development meant that the ANC also lost control over Ilembe district municipality.
Several municipalities in northern KwaZulu-Natal have been the subject of intense politicking, especially in the important Mhlatuze [Richards Bay] municipality.
The Zululand Observer reported last Friday an IFP, Nadeco and Democratic Alliance coalition won a high court order forcing the city’s ANC speaker to place a motion calling for his own dismissal on the council agenda for November 7.
IFP secretary general Musa Zondi said Ndebele’s announcement ”did not come as a shock” and that it was Ndebele’s ”prerogative”.
He said there had never been any agreement between the two parties to cooperate at local government level.
He said: ”Where was the so-called relationship between the ANC and the IFP when the ANC so gladly cooperated with these parties to the detriment of the IFP. What is good for the goose must be good for the gander.”
In a statement released by the Young Communist League, the organisation expressed ”its exhilaration and thereby welcomes the decision by the premier, Sbu Ndebele, to fire the IFP from the provincial government.
”The announcement has been long overdue given the incapacity of the departments led by the IFP [provincial ministers].
”The ill-treatment of the ANC in the municipalities has just added to our disgust against the IFP.” — Sapa