Chaos erupted in Ulundi late Sunday night when rival IFP supporters exchanged blows and threw chairs at each other.
Local police were overwhelmed and had to call in reinforcements from Vryheid to the party's meeting, which highlighted the deep divisions that continue to tear the IFP apart.
The clash happened 25 days before the highly anticipated general elective conference at the end of May.
The meeting was held to elect regional leaders.
The elections were supposed to start at 7am, but ended up taking place at 10pm after some supporters had fled the venue.
The trouble started when supporters of IFP national chairperson Zanele Magwaza-Msibi verbally protested against the election process.
The group supporting Magwaza-Msibi as new party leader said they won the elections held a forth night ago, but senior IFP leaders refused to recognise them and called for re-elections.
Fists fly at IFP meeting
Chaos erupted in Ulundi late Sunday night when rival IFP supporters exchanged blows and threw chairs at each other.
Local police were overwhelmed and had to call in reinforcements from Vryheid to the party's meeting, which highlighted the deep divisions that continue to tear the IFP apart.
The clash happened 25 days before the highly anticipated general elective conference at the end of May.
The meeting was held to elect regional leaders.
The elections were supposed to start at 7am, but ended up taking place at 10pm after some supporters had fled the venue.
The trouble started when supporters of IFP national chairperson Zanele Magwaza-Msibi verbally protested against the election process.
The group supporting Magwaza-Msibi as new party leader said they won the elections held a forth night ago, but senior IFP leaders refused to recognise them and called for re-elections.