ANC guilty of abusing state resources to investigate internal conflict

21 June 201

The Inkatha Freedom Party condemns the abuse of state resources to investigate its internal conflicts while the killing of members of other political parties are not afforded the same level of importance.

“It is very disturbing that the Premier’s spokesperson states that the Task Team was set up by the ANC and not the provincial government. If this task team was set up by the ANC, then it should have been done so by the provincial secretary of the ANC, Super Zuma. Since that was not the case, then one needs to question why is that the Task Team includes the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Willies Mchunu who is the Premier of the province and not the Premier of the ANC. The Premier should not be part of a task team that investigates the internal squabbles and conflicts of a political party. As the Premier, Mchunu should be there to serve all the people of KZN without giving preferential attention to his political home. This is yet another example of the blurring of the line between party and state. By being so involved in this task team, the Premier is sending a clear message that the lives of ANC members are more important than that of other citizens”, said IFP Leader in the KZN Legislature, Mr Blessed Gwala MPL.

“When members of the IFP were being killed over the years and we urged the previous premiers to intervene but we did not receive co-operation. There is a Multi-Party Committee that was set up to address violence in the province and it is this committee that should be seized with addressing the violence no matter where it emanates from. If the ANC wants to investigate its own internal conflicts, it should not be using state resources to do so. Police personnel and other resources will surely be used since the Task Team involves the Premier and the MEC for Community Safety & Liaison, Mxolisi Kaunda. This is a blatant abuse of state resources. The provincial government must treat all citizens of the province with equal respect and not prioritise any one group above another”, concluded Mr Gwala.

Issued by Blessed Gwala, IFP Leader in the KZN Legislature, 21 June 2016