IFP agrees to Government of National Unity | The Witness
The IFP has agreed to participate in the Government of National Unity (GNU) proposed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Briefing the media in Durban on Wednesday, IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa said the party’s leadership had resolved to take part in the GNU after engagements with the ANC and DA during the recent coalition talks — which became necessary after the general elections failed to produce an outright winner nationally.
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We will participate in the Government of National Unity for the sake of our country and for the sake of our people, who want life to continue with a stable government that will address their challenges. This is the sole reason why the IFP supports the idea of the formation of the GNU and why we will join the GNU. We welcome the opportunity to bring the IFP’s principled leadership and integrity into the governance of our country.
The May 29 election results have also left the provincial legislatures of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng hung.
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While Hlabisa said the IFP would also be participating in the provincial unity government of Gauteng, he said the party — which had agreed on “major policy issues” with the ANC, DA and NFP around the formation of a coalition government in KZN — was on the verge of concluding coalition talks for the province.
We are working towards forming a government in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, having met with the ANC, DA and NFP. This continues to be a work in progress.
The IFP, ANC, DA and NFP have a collectively 41 seats at the KZN Legislature, while former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto we Sizwe Party (MK Party) has 37 seats.
Hlabisa was briefing the media amid efforts by the MK Party to enter into coalition talks with the IFP in KZN.
On Wednesday, the MK Party circulated an invitation to coalition talks which the party had extended to the IFP.
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However, Hlabisa made it clear that the IFP had not engaged in any coalition talks with the MK Party to co-govern KwaZulu-Natal.
On the MK question and the subsequent letter which has been circulating in the public domain, we can confirm that we have received the letter and we agreed to meet with them. However, the MK leadership failed to honour a prearranged meeting. Our delegation waited for some time; however, when they failed to arrive, the meeting was cancelled. There has been renewed attempts today by MK to reach out to the IFP.
The MK Party — which is of the view that the May 29 elections were rigged — has already announced that the party’s 58 MP candidates would boycott the National Assemby’s first sitting scheduled to take place in Cape Town on Friday.
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However, by late yesterday afternoon it still remained unclear whether the MK Party’s 37 MPLs would be attending the KZN Legislature’s first sitting — which is also scheduled to take place on Friday.
