Preparations for a mass ANC rally in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday have been finalised and the party on Thursday said it was confident there would be no hiccups.
”As the ANC we are confident that the police will be able to avert any possible conflict,” said African National Congress KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Nomfundo Mcetywa.
”We are also confident that the people of KwaZulu-Natal are now politically mature and understand that the democracy that this country fought so hard to achieve calls upon all of us to be tolerant of one another.”
She said it was ”all systems go”.
The rally — to be held in the IFP stronghold of Nongoma — is expected to be addressed by party president Jacob Zuma and the province’s premier, Sbu Ndebele.
Several other ANC national executive committee members were also expected to attend the event.
On the same day the opposition Inkatha Freedom Party will also be holding their rally, a short distance away.
Although tensions have risen following the deaths of several political figures, police are adamant that both events would run smoothly.
Superintendent Jay Naicker said security would be tightened and police would be deployed to monitor both events.
Said the ANC’s Mcetywa: ”The area of Zululand will indeed this weekend be clad in green, black and gold colours of the ANC”
ANC officials were also due to hold door-to-door campaigns and house meetings during the visit, she said.
”We are confident as the ANC that the people will turn out in numbers to hear how the ANC plans to improve their lives in the next five years from the future president of the country Jacob Zuma,” she said.
”We are also looking forward to engaging with the people of Zululand to find out what challenges relating to service deliveries are they facing.”
Mcetywa said the party believed that the freedom of political association was the principle that the people of KwaZulu-Natal had embraced.
”Not even a speck of land in the province is a no-go area. All political parties should be free to campaign in all areas.”
The IFP expressed the same sentiments earlier on Wednesday as they prepared for their rally.
Spokesperson Musa Zondi said: ”As a party we have always respected the right of other political parties to communicate their message and for the citizens of this country to exercise their constitutional right of free voluntary political association.”
He said political intolerance had reared its ugly head, but denied ANC claims that it was being fuelled by the IFP.
”We see this time and time again as we head closer to national and provincial elections. The ANC blames the IFP for all sorts of untruths as part of their election strategy,” said Zondi. – Sapa