The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has accused the African National Congress (ANC) of reneging on a power-sharing deal that would have seen both parties taking control of hung municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal.
Consequently, the IFP formed governments that excluded the ANC in Umhlathuze (Richards Bay) and Newcastle, and did not vote with the ANC in eThekwini. The IFP announced a deal last week.
IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa says that the last part of their discussions with the ANC had not been completed.
‘The IFP’s negotiating team approached them [ANC] once more to secure finality, but was compelled to report to our national executive committee on Sunday that our call for shared governance arrangements in these municipalities had not yet been answered,’ said Hlabisa.
‘Unfortunately, in the early hours of Monday morning November 22, the ANC came back to us saying that there could not be an agreement on shared governance.’
This led to the IFP abstaining on voting in eThekwini, which led to the collapse of the meeting, allegedly at the hand of ANC members.
Hlabisa said there was therefore a mutual decision not to continue with the agreement but instead an agreement to allow local dynamics to prevail in the remaining hung municipalities.
Thus, the IFP gained the leadership in Umhlathuze and Newcastle.
As of Wednesday, the IFP had established governments in Nongoma, Inkosi Langalibalele, Umvoti, Abaqulusi, Newcastle, Alfred Duma, Endumeni and Mthonjaneni. This is in addition to municipalities where the party won a clear majority, including Umfolozi, uMlalazi, Ulundi, Msinga, Big 5 Hlabisa, Nkandla, Ophongolo, Nquthu and Jozini.
Councils still to be constituted include King Cetshwayo, Umzinyathi and the Zululand district municipalities.