Durban — The Inkatha Freedom party (IFP) has agreed to peace talks with the African National Congress (ANC) over the mic-grabbing incident that occurred last week.
The controversy started when ANC’s Siboniso Duma and the IFP’s Thulasizwe Buthelezi were invovled in a scuffle during the 110th commemoration of King Dinuzulu last Saturday. The party said it would be happy to meet with the ANC but only at a national level, not at a provincial level, EWN reported.
KZN ANC Provincial Secretary Bheki Mtolo wrote to IFP leader Velenkosi Hlabisa requesting a meeting to resolve the issues between the two parties.
In response, Hlabisa, wrote to president Cyril Ramaphosa reqesting that each party nominates three members from their top structures to serve on the peace talks. Ramphosa said, during his KZN campaign trail, they will talk to the IFP, IOL reported.
The President of the #IFP, Hon Velenkosini Hlabisa and members of the NEC addressed the media today in Durban to give clarity on the relationship between the IFP & ANC. Read the press statement here: https://t.co/6VunKkz1zL #VoteIFP #DoItForShenge #Trustus pic.twitter.com/82dVSSyNQV
— #VoteIFP (@IFP_National) March 22, 2024
“President Ramaphosa himself expressed concern over the incident and made a public statement that the ANC and IFP would meet to discuss this violence, cementing the unfounded accusation that the IFP was responsible. The President did not approach me, however, to request a meeting.” Hlaibisa said in an IFP statement.
“I then received a letter on Wednesday morning from the Provincial Secretary of the ANC (Bheki Mtolo), purporting to seek what he called ‘peace talks’ with the IFP. I indicated to him that I would respond once I had given the matter some thought.”
“After careful consideration (on Thursday), I dispatched a letter to the President of the ANC, sharing how best we can deal with the KwaCeza incident, as he also commented about it, in public. I requested that our parties nominate three members of our respective NECs and these three aside members will jointly facilitate the engagement of our PECs in KZN, to ensure that we deliver the sustainable and desired result. We are now awaiting the response from the ANC President.” he said.
[WATCH] IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa questions the said “heroism” demonstrated by the KZN ANC chairperson Siboniso Duma when he grabbed the microphone from Zulu Traditional Prime Minister Thulasizwe Buthelezi.#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/pKyQD8pNa0
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) March 22, 2024
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
