IFP responds to allegation of democracy under threat

Is democracy under threat in AbaQulusi Municipality?
Democracy is a system of Government in which those who rule the people or an area of jurisdiction, do so after they have been voted into power by the majority of the voting public.
In a democratic system of rule which uses the multiparty system, a political party or group of political parties who have come into a coalition which constitutes a collective that represents a majority of voters forms Government. When the people are therefore governed as a result of such a process, then democracy is alive and no wise individual who understands the concept of democracy can boldly say it is ‘increasingly under threat’, as Smangaliso Zwane said in his article in the Vryheid Herald of Friday, the 17th of January 2020.
It is similarly terribly devoid of sense to refer to democratic governance as it exists in the AbaQulusi Municipality as hegemony; such talk is an insult to the intelligence of the people (the voters) of AbaQulusi, by an individual who once campaigned to be their councillor under the ticket of what he now calls ‘a hegemonic political party’.
This simply means he once deliberately misled them into a hegemonic structure. The question is whether he is still misleading them or not? That clearly shows that Smangaliso Zwane cannot and should not be trusted by the people of AbaQulusi. He cannot lead them with honesty because such is a show of dishonesty. This country can only afford ethical leadership and such a start by a display of a gross lack ethical conduct is the precursor to dishonest conduct in Government, if elected to serve in such capacity.

Also ready: Democracy in AbaQulusi is under threat

Smangaliso Zwane’s mother, Cllr BL Zwane serves on the Executive Committee (Exco) of the AbaQulusi Municipality as an IFP Party Representative Councillor. His elder sister is working as an official in this municipality and was employed with the IFP in power at AbaQulusi. His family gets two fat salaries from the IFP-run AbaQulusi Municipality. Word in the IFP also has it that he became bitter after he was unsuccessful to be employed by this municipality, after he failed to win Ward 8 as an IFP candidate. He then began to be a born again and started seeing prophesies of ‘a hegemonic political party’ in the IFP control of the AbaQulusi Municipality – ridiculous! The IFP is – together with its coalition partners – enjoying the support of the majority public. The election results of the last election display such growth.
So much progress and good governance has been delivered by the IFP in AbaQulusi for many years since 1996, through to the first democratic wall-to-wall municipal elections up to this day. The only period where the IFP lost power was the 2011 to 2016 period, when ructions in the party also affected AbaQulusi. At all these periods of successful governance in this area, the people of AbaQulusi voted for this party because it can be trusted. Smanga Zwane also widely campaigned for the IFP under the ‘TRUST US/SETHEMBE’ motto. No hegemony, but democracy.
There is no absence of leadership at this municipality as Mangethe (his clan name) alleges. We have both political and administrative governance in order. We have just received an Unqualified Audit Report and so Mr Zwane’s words are being opposed by the Auditor General.
It must be noted that the public protests he is referring to were mobilised by him to spite the individuals he has mentioned in his article. So, the people were misused to bless his personal agenda. Those who supported him did so because for them it was politically expedient for them to do so. To say there’s a lack of leadership in the municipality is therefore his individual viewpoint, purely based on both malice and sour grapes after he had to leave the IFP where he was serving for years, due to ill discipline.
There is no phenomenon of ‘sjamboking’ the public here. This is untrue. I am one of the leaders of the IFP in the Zululand District and a resident at AbaQulusi and to say I am doing so is an insult in its core.
The bullying, vulnerability and life in the wilderness alleged by Smanga Zwane are the pure figments of his imagination, as there is no such phenomena here (one cannot use one incident initiated by himself to justify his conclusion), and we are also IFP activists but have not done such. If he is referring to the matters before court, these can only be pronounced about once the courts have finalised their investigation. So far, no proof. Having said that, I must add the IFP loves all the people of AbaQulusi and that is why we cannot allow them to be led astray by self-serving demagogues (udlambedlu). Under the IFP, AbaQulusi is led by a champion of democracy in this country.
Submitted by: 
Mpiyakhe Alson Hlatshwayo
Deputy Chairperson of the IFP in the Zululand District
Councillor and Exco member at the AbaQulusi Municipality

Make sure you follow us on our social media platforms for regular updates