The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) says while the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party did reach out to them to discuss a possible coalition government in KwaZulu-Natal, when their party members arrived for meeting, they were left waiting for more than four hours.
Speaking during a media briefing at the IFP headquarters in Durban on Wednesday, IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa, confirmed that they accepted the MK Party’s invite to discuss a possibly of co-governing in KZN.
However, despite IFP officials waiting for four hours, MK Party members failed to arrive.
“The meeting was scheduled for Monday afternoon, 5pm. Our team had to wait for two hours and they were informed that the delegation was arriving late. They waited for two hours. The rest of the members left and Comrade Mkhuleko Hlengwa remained behind.
“He waited for another two hours. Nobody pitched up,” Hlabisa said.
He added that the the door for negotiations with the MK Party remained open.
“There are other attempts that are underway because we still have a day (Thursday) to meet the MK Party so we engage them on the common cause,” Hlabisa said.
In a letter addressed to the IFP's leadership, MK Party secretary-general Sihle Ngubane, said they had identified political ideologies and characteristics that they share with the IFP.
It was unclear when or if another meeting between the parties will take place.
Hlabisa said it is committed to joining a Government of National Unity (GNU).
"The mandate we received from the electorate is for the IFP to contribute to the effective governance of South Africa," Hlabisa said, adding that the party's identity would remain intact, referencing the IFP's previous experience in coalition governments from 1994 to 2004.
At the provincial level, the IFP is also negotiating coalition agreements in KwaZulu-Natal witht the DA, NFP and ANC.
"We are working towards forming a government in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal," Hlabisa confirmed, with discussions ongoing with the ANC, DA, and NFP.
Hlabisa expressed optimism about the IFP's role in the GNU, highlighting the party's potential to bring "integrity, stability, and the drive to take forward our country and its people to a better future."
This decision by the IFP marks a new chapter in South Africa's political narrative, one that emphasises unity, collaboration, and a collective commitment to the nation's progress.
IOL Politics