IFP calls out EFF’s vile misinformation

7 February 2023

Straight from the ANC People’s War Handbook the EFF this morning woke up South Africa with another dose of sensationalist, unsubstantiated and fabricated allegations about the IFP allegedly plotting to assassinate Mr Marshall Dlamini.

This is classical historical ANC playbook stuff: false narratives, victimhood, and wherein they bring the security forces on-side and then accuse third parties of doing what they themselves are about to do.

The EFF’s delusions of grandeur have come full circle in the face of a brewing internal revolt emanating out of its decision to restore the ANC into power. The EFF exaggerated its influence, assuming its parting of ways with us would spell disaster for the IFP.

Where we must warn the EFF, however, is when it begins pressing on the old wounds of our people with no regard for the pain that this causes. The allegations are inflammatory and dangerous politicking. They have produced nothing whatsoever to back this serious claim, which the IFP now demands be investigated by SAPS. If SAPS genuinely knew of an assassination plot, and knew who was plotting it, they would have made arrests.

The IFP calls on Minster Bheki Cele and the State Security Agency to clarify this allegation.

Perhaps the EFF should be reminded of the findings of the Moerane Commission of Inquiry into political killings in KwaZulu-Natal. The major trend revealed was intra-party violence within the ANC; the very ANC that the EFF has jumped back into bed with.

The EFF’s latest political stunt of removing themselves from co-governance with the IFP did not yield the results they had hoped for. They believed they could force the IFP into a position to hand over municipalities, but the IFP was unwilling to betray the trust of the communities that voted for us.

Now that their plans have backfired, the EFF is making wild, unfounded, and extremely dangerous accusations against the IFP.

Furthermore, it is not lost on us that the EFF’s newfound love for the ANC is to enable grand looting and fundraising VBS style, ahead of its much hyped 10th birthday celebrations in July.

What they fail to realise – or know, but simply don’t care – is that their lack of honesty and consistency is deeply disrespectful to the electorate. It is reminiscent of an abusive relationship, with the people being the victims of a repugnant bully.

In their latest vomit-strewn statement today, the EFF claim that its leadership “organised a meeting with the leadership of the IFP” in 2014 because “IFP members” were disrupting EFF meetings. As much as they crave the media’s attention, it must be quite annoying for the EFF to have a digital record tripping them up on every lie.

This latest theatrics by the EFF are a clear diversion tactic of the real story of unhappiness and disgruntlement within the body politic of the EFF.

In 2014, Mr Julius Malema met with the IFP’s Founder, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, to apologise for the stupid things he had said while campaigning for the ANC. When he was still “prepared to take up arms and kill for Zuma”, Mr Malema insulted Prince Buthelezi and threatened his wife and children.

But when he jumped ship from the ANC and realised that the EFF would get nowhere in KwaZulu-Natal after insulting Prince Buthelezi, Mr Malema was quick to come and say sorry. “I am happy that I got the chance to retract (my insults) and apologise to His Excellency,” he told the cameras.

Now that these political opportunists realise that the IFP is the biggest challenger in KwaZulu-Natal for 2024, they have returned to their own vomit. Suddenly the IFP – with whom they happily worked until we refused to hand over governance of Umhlathuze – is an “agent of apartheid” that “only thrives through violence”.

This kind of flipflopping is the unique brand of the EFF. Lest we forget, the same Mr Malema who declared in 2021 that there is “no way, no way, the EFF is going to vote with the ANC”, is now voting with the ANC.

And the EFF ground forces are none too happy with that instruction. Many of the EFF’s representatives joined the party on an anti-ANC ticket, but are now being forced to toe the line and work with the ANC. There is much unhappiness in the organisation due to this unilateral decision, but anyone questioning it is being removed: at Councillor, MPL and MP level.

How can anyone trust a leadership that changes its mind at the drop of a hat? Whatever it says today, will be contradicted tomorrow. The IFP will thus not be surprised when the EFF comes to us again after 2024 to apologise for the stupid things it is saying now, in the hope of strengthening its hand.

Issued by Mkhuleko Hlengwa, IFP National Spokesperson, 7 February 2023