The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has closed its doors to any coalition talks with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
Eight KwaZulu-Natal municipalities will be plunged into disarray after a decision by the EFF that all members serving as deputy mayors resign, leaving the IFP in the lurch.
Another six IFP-led municipalities where the EFF has been voting with the IFP will also be affected by the decision to cut ties.
The IFP says the EFF’s preoccupation with positions and lack of interest in service delivery are the reasons for the breakdown in relations between the two parties.
IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa held a media briefing in Durban on Monday morning after EFF leader Julius Malema’s announcement on Sunday that his party was cutting all ties with the IFP.
At the briefing, Hlabisa placed the bulk of the blame on the EFF, saying the party was not interested in delivering services to communities but was more focused on positions of power and influence in municipalities where it was in coalition with the IFP.
Hlabisa said the IFP had shut its doors for good when it came to the red berets.
“The IFP has noted that Mr Malema doubled down as usual on the attack on the IFP when he said, ‘the door to discussions between the EFF and the IFP is still open’, but on the basis of Friday night’s diatribe, the IFP believes the door is now closed.”
The party said the recent by-elections held in the province showed that support for the party was growing.
The IFP slammed Malema for allegedly accusing it of being an apartheid collaborator.
“Clearly, Mr Malema was still enjoying breastfeeding when this country burnt,” said IFP deputy secretary general Albert Mncwango.
“More than 20,000 people actually died as a result of this because this was ANC propaganda peddled against the IFP, but one can actually forgive Mr Malema because he was still a toddler there.”
The IFP maintained that it would be able to govern those councils without the support of the EFF.
Source: Business Day, News24, Eyewitness News, Mail&Guardian, image from Twitter: @djvuslo