ACTIONSA has accused IFP officials in the Zululand district municipality of using a government event to campaign for the upcoming national elections.
The party’s premier candidate for the KwaZulu-Natal province, Zwakele Mncwango, speaking during a recent interview, said that in the code of conduct signed by all parties contesting the elections, they were informed that there were specific areas that political parties were prohibited from campaigning in, including offering any reward to a person to vote for a party.
Mncwango said in the case of the Zululand municipality, abusing a position of power, influence or privilege to influence the outcome of an election was also prohibited by the code.
However, he said as ActionSA forged ahead with its campaign trail in the Nongoma area at the weekend, it was informed that the municipality was conducting public hearings and there were taxis going around different wards transporting IFP members.
According to the party’s provincial candidate, the taxis were allegedly paid for by government funds, however, they bore the political flags of the IFP.
“When you arrive at the municipal hearings, you find the venue has been decorated with IFP logos and banners inside, people wearing IFP T-shirts and singing IFP slogans, and that can’t be allowed to continue in terms of the act. It also goes against the code of conduct as you are now abusing public funds for the benefit of a political party,” Mncwango said.
“At the same hearings regarding the municipal budget which is normally passed in May, there were gifts given away to members of the public, like grass cutting machines, which clearly boils down to using public funds for political gains.
“We had to advise our supporters not to attend because of how tensions occur in the region,” he added.
ActionSA called on IFP leaders to act responsibly and to avoid creating unnecessary tensions.
“This municipal gathering became an IFP rally as they were promoting the party and why to vote for them rather than allow people to discuss the municipal budget as planned.
“So as leaders we encourage leaders to act responsibly to avoid creating instability in the province.”
Zululand municipality spokesperson, Kiki Ntuli, however denied the allegations levelled by ActionSA, and said it was unfortunate that the municipality could not control some of the negative allegations received.
“For us, as the municipality, the most important thing is for the people of the district to come and hear our message and participate in our roadshows so we can hear what they need to tell us as the municipality and their needs.
“The transportation was for community members of the district. Inside the marquee there were no posters or flags whatsoever of a political party, it was just a decoration of the municipality,” she said during a televised interview.
The Star