The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday denied Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s comments that it had won control of the province in 2004 because it bussed in supporters from other provinces.
Buthelezi told Inkatha Freedom Party supporters on Monday that he was concerned that the ANC would bus people in again during the upcoming elections on April 22.
Buthelezi’s statement was aired on national television.
”The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is dismayed at the baseless and preposterous claims made by IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi on national television that the ANC bussed people from outside the province in order to win control of the province in the 2004 elections,†said ANC provincial secretary Senzo Mchunu in a statement.
Mchunu said his party rejected Buthelezi’s claims as a ”meek excuse of a party that is already preparing itself for humiliation at the polls”.
”Staring defeat in the face, the IFP has now begun searching for reasons not to accept the democratic will of the people of KwaZulu-Natal.
”That the IFP is going to lose is a fait accompli, this is evidenced by the soaring popularity of the ANC since the 2004 elections including recent by-elections where the ANC has snatched wards which once belonged to the IFP,” said Mchunu.
He said IFP leaders had in the past failed to provide evidence on a number of allegations they levelled against the ANC.
”Recently the IFP president falsely accused the ANC president Jacob Zuma and ANC KwaZulu-Natal chairperson of having stood by and watched while ANC supporters burnt IFP shirts in their presence.
”He, however, failed to provide evidence despite repeated requests.”
The IFP’s provincial premiership candidate Zanele Magwaza-Msibi had also failed to prove that the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) had removed IFP members from the voters’ role.
During the last voter registration drive in February, Magwaza-Msibi said the IEC was removing IFP members from the voters’ roll mainly in the party’s strongholds. The claim was denied by the IEC.
”We once again challenge Dr Buthelezi to provide evidence of the ANC bussing people from other provinces to vote in the last election.
”If he fails to provide any evidence we will then conclude that he has become a habitual liar,” said Mchunu. — Sapa