Durban – There was almost a confrontation between ANC and IFP supporters in Malukazi informal settlement near Umlazi in the south of Durban on Wednesday when members of the ruling party used the same route to stage a mini rally.
This happened at about 12pm when the leadership of the IFP was in the informal settlement to conduct a door-to-door campaign ahead of their manifesto launch on Thursday.
The area is an IFP stronghold that the party has been winning in elections for years.
The IFP leadership led by its provincial chairperson, Thami Ntuli, who is also the mayor in Nkandla, picked an open space near one of the tiny roads within the settlement to campaign.
While they were still setting up, a crowd of ANC supporters in full regalia of the ruling party emerged, singing and chanting struggle songs.
Video: Sihle Mavuso
They slowly approached the IFP crowd and gestured in a provocative manner while using vulgar language.
Despite that, the IFP crowd was told by Ntuli to remain calm and not to fall for the “obvious provocation” and they complied.
The ANC crowd then marched through and it was during that time that one of the off-road vans of the IFP with a mounted public address system was leaving the spot where they had gathered.
The ANC crowd gathered around the van while using expletives and that lasted for about 10 minutes.
Despite that incident, the nearly confrontational situation was contained until the ANC left the area and continued with their singing a distance away from the IFP rally.
Later about four SAPS vans were spotted near the ANC crowd and the officers in the vans were closely monitoring the situation.
Ntuli then kicked off his door-to-door campaign by visiting a house owned by the Mkhize family who originally hail from Dondotha near Mpangeni in the north of KwaZulu-Natal.
One of the members of the family, Lindeni Mkhize, told Ntuli and his team about their challenges.
She later pledged that “as usual my vote will go to the old man (Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi) as even my brother back home is an IFP leader”.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
Political Bureau