IFP president Mangosuthu Buthelezi has accused the NFP of attempting to derail next week's local government polls in KwaZulu-Natal.
Buthelezi told Sowetan on the sidelines of a campaign rally in Elandskop near Pietermaritzburg that the NFP was engaging in acts of provocation in a bid to create a situation that could lead to the cancellation of the August 3 election.
The NFP, which broke away from the IFP, has been barred from contesting the election after its leadership failed to pay the election registration fee to the IEC. Buthelezi said the NFP has gone as far as accusing the IFP of bribing its leaders so that they would deliberately fail to pay the IEC registration fees.
His comments come after two IFP members were shot and killed in Estcourt last week, allegedly by people wearing ANC T-shirts. At least 14 people have been killed in the province in the run up to next week's local government election. Buthelezi said he had warned his followers "not to bite the bait", in reference to the NFP's alleged provocation.
"Quite clearly what they are trying to do is to provoke us into getting into conflict with them and retaliating, in which case the IEC will have no option whatsoever except to say there can't be an election," he said.
He said he was concerned about the recent killings which he said were "a very serious threat to the election."
"It's getting worse. While we were all shocked by the intra-party killings in the ANC, it's now amazing that it's spreading between parties," he said.
Buthelezi said he supports calls by the ANC for the establishment of a commission of inquiry into the recent violence. A boisterous crowd of IFP supporters braved the driving rain and cold temperatures to listen to Buthelezi speak at the KwaMncane community hall.
"The political landscape is changing. It's becoming more polarised and the debate has become far more aggressive. We see leaders attacking one another, stirring up emotions and making irresponsible statements. We see intra-party political assassinations, violent service delivery protests and one allegation after the next," Buthelezi said.
NFP trying to derail local poll, claims Buthelezi
IFP president Mangosuthu Buthelezi has accused the NFP of attempting to derail next week's local government polls in KwaZulu-Natal.
Buthelezi told Sowetan on the sidelines of a campaign rally in Elandskop near Pietermaritzburg that the NFP was engaging in acts of provocation in a bid to create a situation that could lead to the cancellation of the August 3 election.
The NFP, which broke away from the IFP, has been barred from contesting the election after its leadership failed to pay the election registration fee to the IEC. Buthelezi said the NFP has gone as far as accusing the IFP of bribing its leaders so that they would deliberately fail to pay the IEC registration fees.
His comments come after two IFP members were shot and killed in Estcourt last week, allegedly by people wearing ANC T-shirts. At least 14 people have been killed in the province in the run up to next week's local government election. Buthelezi said he had warned his followers "not to bite the bait", in reference to the NFP's alleged provocation.
"Quite clearly what they are trying to do is to provoke us into getting into conflict with them and retaliating, in which case the IEC will have no option whatsoever except to say there can't be an election," he said.
He said he was concerned about the recent killings which he said were "a very serious threat to the election."
"It's getting worse. While we were all shocked by the intra-party killings in the ANC, it's now amazing that it's spreading between parties," he said.
Buthelezi said he supports calls by the ANC for the establishment of a commission of inquiry into the recent violence. A boisterous crowd of IFP supporters braved the driving rain and cold temperatures to listen to Buthelezi speak at the KwaMncane community hall.
"The political landscape is changing. It's becoming more polarised and the debate has become far more aggressive. We see leaders attacking one another, stirring up emotions and making irresponsible statements. We see intra-party political assassinations, violent service delivery protests and one allegation after the next," Buthelezi said.
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