IFP Refuses to Form Coalitions with ANC in KZN Hung Councils, Accuses Party of Being Dishonest

• The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) held a press briefing over the weekend where they announced their refusal to enter coalitions with the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal
• Velenkosini Hlabisa, president of the IFP, has accused the ruling party of being dishonest in the past and disappointing South Africans
• South Africans feel there needs to be a focus on service delivery and forming a stable government in the hung councils

DURBAN - In many parts of KwaZulu-Natal there was no single party majority, which resulted in hung councils. The parties who got the most votes in these areas are facing possible coalition governments but some say they do not want this.

One such party is the IFP, which has announced that they refuse to form coalitions with the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal. The IFP argues that voters clearly did not want the ANC to govern and the ruling party has disappointed South Africans.

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Velenkosini Hlabisa, president of the IFP, has said that the increase of votes they received this election is proof that KwaZulu-Natal residents trust them more than the ANC, News24 reports.

Why the IFP won't work with the ANC

According to IOL, Hlabisa maintains that working with the ANC would mean compromising IFP values as the ANC has been dishonest in previous coalitions they have entered into.

While the IFP refuses to work with the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, they are willing to form coalitions with the ruling party in Gauteng as the circumstances are different from one province to the next.

“The national council yesterday sat and took a firm decision that the municipalities where we will be leading, we would not get into co-operation with the ANC. For these reasons: the history of the IFP and the ANC, specifically in KwaZulu-Natal, is not good, and during the election campaign many utterances have been said by the ANC to the IFP," Hlabisa said.

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South Africa reacts to IFP's refusal

Many South Africans have taken to social media to express their opinions regarding Hlabisa's announcement. Here is what some people had to say:

@SiemsRonnie said:

"All political parties are making demands on what they want if they go into a coalition strangely not one of them are demanding better service delivery for all the citizens of the country."

@RapsnRaps1 believes:

"The provincial government will take over, then thereafter will be by-elections and the ANC will win all the hung municipalities."

@elley40 shared:

"If no party is willing to work with the ANC, there won't be any council sitting at all the hung municipalities within 14 days."

@Buzoko721 said:

"Very good, if they can in a way follow and prosecute all those corrupt officials and former councillors that are leaving the municipalities bankrupt. They would fail their voters if they unable to provide services and blame it on the previous corrupt Mayors. Bopha IFP bopha."

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IFP succeeds in plan to use Buthelezi’s face for campaigning

Previously Briefly News reported on the IFP emerging as KwaZulu-Natal's top party following last week's local government election.

However, the party used false advertising in their election campaign by using the face of Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the founder of the IFP, rather than the current party head, Velenkosini Hlabisa, in their pre-election advertising.

Professor Bheki Mngomezulu, from the University of Western Cape's politics department, believes that Buthelezi's legacy is fresh in the minds of voters, and was, therefore, a stronger strategy than using Hlabisa's image in advertising.

Source: Briefly News