Empangeni - The simmering political tensions between ANC and IFP office bearers took an unexpected turn on Friday when they publicly exchanged heated words and threats in front of hundreds of people.
The last time something similar happened was in April 2008 when Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi had a public confrontation with then-traditional affairs MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu.
That was after Buthelezi was angered by the ANC-led KwaZulu-Natal cabinet decision that wanted to force him to take the position of chairperson of the KZN House of Traditional Leaders on a full-time basis.
The latest incident happened on Friday in Empangeni, on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal, when the MEC for Human Settlements, Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba from the ANC, exchanged threats with councillors of the IFP.
That was during an event to sign an implementation agreement with seven municipalities of the province to be able to source funding from Mahlaba’s department and develop their own RDP houses.
The event was also combined with the launch of the Empangeni mega catalytic housing project.
IOL understands that prior to the event, the department and the City of Umhlathuze were fighting over branding rights and other issues.
According to witnesses, it all started when Mahlaba was delivering his speech and kept on attributing the project to the ANC instead of the provincial government.
That led to Xolani Ngwezi, the IFP Mayor of the City of Umhlathuze (Richards Bay-Empangeni) to chip in and tell Mahlaba that “but in 2024 you ANC will be out of power”.
That was in reference to the national and provincial elections next year.
It is alleged that statement from Ngwezi annoyed Mahlaba and he said he was not happy that the mayor was interrupting his speech and that was going to make him lose his temper.
“I don’t want to publicly lose my temper,” Mahlaba is heard saying in a video shared with IOL by those who attended the event.
When Mahlaba said that, some councillors who were seated in front of the stage said he was issuing hollow threats.
“Stop your empty threats, we won’t be threatened by you,” one councillor is heard shouting back at Mahlaba.
At that time, Ngwezi had backed down and apologised to Mahlaba and a certain traditional leader who was in attendance and the heated exchange continued between the ANC MEC and the IFP councillors.
The ANC and the IFP have a history of rivalry and at some point in the 1980s and early 1990s, thousands of lives were lost in what is now known as the black-on-black violence.
In recent days, supporters of the two parties have locked horns in Ladysmith where there is a fight for the control of the Alfred Duma (Ladysmith) local municipality and the Uthukela district municipality.
Both municipalities are held by the IFP after snatching them from the ANC during the November 2021 local government elections.
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