Canaan Mdletshe

Canaan Mdletshe

The IFP has called for an independent body to be established to look into the powder-keg issue of name changes in KwaZulu-Natal.

The controversy surrounding the issue of name changes resulted in a chaotic protest march by the IFP and the DA recently.

Ben Skosana of the IFP said yesterday an independent body would be the only suitable forum to decide on the matter.

This comes after eThekwini municipal manager Mike Sutcliffe told the media he would go through the submissions from the public and make recommendations to the Masakhane committee.

The committee would in turn forward them to the council.

Local and Provincial Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi and Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan are expected to visit the province to help defuse tension in the area.

Skosana said it was clear that peace and stability were at stake in the province.

"It is clear that the vision of the current ruling ANC elite in the province to work for African unity and reconciliation is seriously handicapped by their inability to overcome the horrors of previous black- on-black conflict," he said.

Protas Madlala, a political analyst, said an independent body would be perfect under the circumstances.