The IFP’s intense recruitment campaign, which saw the party bagging several wards in KZN’s by-elections, has been branded as ‘provocative’.

ABC founder Philani Mavundla — whose party recently lost to the IFP during Ward 6 by-elections in the uMvoti Municipality in Greytown — has accused IFP leaders in the area of humiliating supporters of rival political parties.

During the build-up to the by-elections, Mavundla says, ABC supporters in the area were forced to remove their ABC T-shirts before being handed IFP T-shirts. ABC election posters were also ‘torn’.

“In some instances, people, who we believe were hired by IFP leaders, placed IFP posters on top of those of the ABC,” Mavundla says.

Video clips seen by The Witness show what appears to be IFP campaigners handing over the party’s T-shirts to people wearing ABC T-shirts bearing Mavundla’s face.

“This political party is now useless,” a man wearing an IFP T-shirt can be heard saying.

One of the people who had swopped his ABC T-shirt for the IFP one then agrees: “Yes, this party is useless”.

The video clip shows IFP uMvoti Mayor Gabriel Malembe watching as ABC supporters swop their T-shirts for IFP ones.

“What kind of a leader is that who watches and folds his arms when people are being humiliated and ordered to take off their shirts in public?” Mavundla asks.

Given KZN’s history of political violence, Mavundla says, it was irresponsible for IFP leaders to take no action when supporters of rival political parties were being ‘harassed’.

“What the IFP members are doing in cahoots with the party’s leaders is to create an environment for confrontation and political violence. They are provoking members of other political parties to retaliate — this is the last thing which this province needs.

“As the ABC we call upon the IFP leadership to openly condemn the conduct of its members as well as that of IFP leaders who incite people to harass members of other political parties,” he explains.

However, Malembe describes Mavundla’s concerns as ‘sour grapes’.

“It should be highlighted that the IFP won that by-election in Ward 6 in uMvoti after voters in the areas had overwhelmingly rejected the ABC. So, it’s not surprising to see Mavundla trying to create an excuse for the defeat of his party at the by-election,” he says.

While Malembe confirms that he was present when ABC supporters removed the party’s T-shirts for the IFP ones, he denies that the supporters of the IFP’s rival party were harassed.

“They did it voluntarily. It’s them who openly said they no longer trusted Mavundla and his party, the ABC. What I don’t understand is this thing of Mavundla saying I folded my arms. Why should I do something when no law has been broken?

“Yes, I did not intervene. This was because the IFP members who were handing those people IFP T-shirts did nothing wrong,” says Malembe, who is also the IFP provincial organiser.

The IFP is currently in talks with the DA to form a coalition that could see the ANC in KZN booted out of government in the province in next year’s general elections.