×

We've got news for you.

Register on SowetanLIVE at no cost to receive newsletters, read exclusive articles & more.
Register now

IFP slams 'political discrimination'

Canaan Mdletshe

Canaan Mdletshe

KwaZulu-Natal premier Sbu Ndebele's declaration of Nkandla - the home village of ANC president Jacob Zuma - as a disaster area, has been labelled "political discrimination".

Raging veld fires ravaged the province, leaving 32 people dead.

Livestock perished and prime agricultural land was destroyed when the infernos engulfed several parts of the province on the north and south coasts at the weekend.

The national chairman of the Inkatha Freedom Party and Zululand district mayor Zanele Magwaza-Msibi expressed disappointment and shock that Ndebele only declared Nkandla a disaster area, "neglecting other areas equally damaged".

"I call on the premier to attend to this disaster without political discrimination so that all those affected will benefit," she said.

Magwaza-Msibi said she expected Ndebele to be accommodative and treat all residents equally.

But MEC for social development, Meshack Hadebe, said Ndebele was misunderstood.

"The premier did not mean Nkandla as one area, but he was referring to the whole of Umlalazi municipality, under which Nkandla falls.

"It's just that he made that statement in Inkandla. Twenty-two people died in Umlazi."

Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.