‘IFP bribes traditional leaders’ – EFF accuses IFP of patronage networks in KZN

The gloves are off in KwaZulu-Natal after the collapse of the coalition agreement between the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) at the province’s hung municipalities.

Addressing the provincial plenum in Durban on Sunday, EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini said the EFF will campaign anywhere in the province because the IFP doesn’t control traditional leaders.

The two parties’ now icy relationship made headlines after EFF leader Julius Malema announced that all EFF deputy mayors were requested to resign with immediate effect. He accused the IFP of being “apartheid collaborators who refuse to change”.

The EFF and the IFP formed coalitions at 20 hung councils, with the EFF taking over deputy mayor positions in councils such as the Zululand, Amajuba and Uthukela district municipalities and five local municipalities, Dannhauser, Maphumulo, Nongoma, Umhlathuze and Mtubatuba.

ALSO READ: IFP cuts ties with EFF coalition in KwaZulu-Natal

IFP president Velenkosi Hlabisa last week dismissed Malema’s statement, saying his party will only lose “one or two” councils as a result of EFF’s walkout.

IFP has ‘no monopoly’ over traditional leaders

According to Dlamini, the IFP has a patronage network that extends to traditional leaders in the province.

“They [IFP] are using everything now including patronage, they go to them [traditional leaders] and give them money.

“We’ve met them before – at Harry Gwala, Ilemebe – actually traditional leaders want to talk to the EFF. We must go back there. They themselves don’t have a monopoly on their communities.

“If the IFP was in charge of influential traditional leaders, they would have told them not to allow the EFF to campaign in KwaNongoma.”

He urged party leaders in the province to meet with traditional leaders.

“Let’s go sit with them, if they differ with us, let’s go and differ in there with them. One of our programmes here is to have an imbizo with traditional leaders under one roof in KZN, organised by the EFF so we can have a clear engagement with them, so that we hear from them and not from other people.”

The EFF’s politics are simple but always face danger, said Dlamini.

“We are an unconditionally anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, non-racial, peaceful and loving movement but when it comes to peace, that is conditional.

“We are only peaceful with those that are peaceful with us,” he said.

Bringing Richards Bay harbour ‘to its knees for two days’

Meanwhile, provincial chairperson Vusi Twala announced that the party plans to have 10 000 party members and supporters shut down Richards Bay harbour in King Cetshwayo region for two days as part of the EFF’s planned 20 March national shut down.

The party is demanding an end to unreliable electricity supply and that President Cyril Ramaphosa step down.

Twala told the red berets that they are responsible for organising and transporting the thousands of supporters.

“Starting from Amajuba in Mpumalanga, where coal is from. At the intersection of R34 and N11 we will be shutting it down with 2 000 fighters – no assistance from the province or national.

“All fighters must see to it that you transport them yourselves. That is the order for all regions. Moving forward, the secretary-general [Dlamini] will give us dates where we all account for recruitment and mass mobilisation for this programme.”

READ MORE: EFF ‘could be in control’ of Ekurhuleni if opposition parties have their way

“At least 10 000 more are expected at Richards Bay harbour in King Cetshwayo region. Actually, we are shutting down that harbour for two days – 20 and 21 March – because we don’t want it to be business as usual the following day. We are going to make sure a serious entourage and battalion is there for two days,” Twala said.

For Durban, 5 000 people are expected to block the N3, halting transport to the local harbour, he added.

MPLs, councillors to also pay for anniversary transport

For the party’s 10-year celebrations, KwaZulu-Natal is expected to deliver 244 buses to FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. EFF members of the provincial legislature are expected to pay for 10 buses each.

Its 164 councillors will pay for a bus each to transport their constituents to the venue.

Twala told the red berets that the “revolution won’t fund itself”.

“You heard right, comrades – 10 buses from each MPL and one from each councillor, accompanied by proof of payments. We are the ones who must fund the revolution, otherwise, we would be handing over our organisation to the whites.”

According to Malema, each EFF MP is expected to sponsor 20 buses each.

“We are training you to have the capacity to raise money, that’s part of leadership. You cannot lead a revolution without being able to mobilise resources.

“All buses from our public representatives – councillors, MPLs and MPs – will bring us 110 000 people, we need 90 000. And we haven’t touched on EFF’s buses. So, if all of you do this, we are going to have a successful 10th anniversary of the EFF,” he told the Free State plenum on Sunday.

With the IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa overseas, MPs Narend Singh and Liezl Van der Merwe on Sunday referred The Citizen’s questions on Dlamini’s remarks to the party’s provincial executive committee chairperson Thami Ntuli.

Ntuli is yet to respond.

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