13 July 2003
The South African Communist Party in KwaZulu Natal has learned with shock and disgust that the IFP, early this year set up a committee called IFP-Strategic Coordinating Unit (STRATCON) to exploit public funds in order to bolster its feeble image ahead of 2004 elections. This is not surprising for a party that once depended on the apartheid system as a source of funding to oppose the African National Congress -(INKATHAGATE). But it is also not surprising for the IFP that has failed as the government of the province to deliver a better life to the people. It now employs its old tactics of manipulating people, creating false image and deceiving people that it is a party that is caring whilst it is only interested in manipulating their votes.
What is most interesting with the STRATCON report is that it indicates the IFP concern that ANC MEC's are delivering, hence it says, "Ndebele and Mkhize are seen as delivering ANC projects under ANC departments. We need to ensure that their successes are seen as KZN government successes (they are merely giving effect to the policy vested in the Premier), but by the same token we should take advantage of their failures from the opposite perspective."
The STRATCON report also indicates that the IFP representatives in committees on Transport and Health need to be hard-hitting leaving no stone unturned to weaken the image of Ndebele and Mkhize. This gives an explanation about the recent controversy where the IFP chairperson of the Transport Portfolio Committee undermined the Minister by opening the bridge of which he had no authority. As the SACP this makes us to believe that what the STRATCON instructed has been implemented by the IFP in the legislature. This then makes us to be convinced that public funds have been used to undermine fellow colleagues in the Provincial Cabinet, to effect the party political programme in the legislature using tax payers money.
As the SACP, we call on people of this province to condemn the IFP's attempt to undermine their judgement of correctly deciding as to which party that has delivered in this province. The IFP has failed to deliver hence it is worried that the people will judge it harshly, it therefore resorts to manipulation like it did during apartheid days. This also shows that the IFP has no public confidence, but it is also aware that the public has no confidence in it - even its STRATCON Report disapproved of public evaluation of its executives because it considered that it could be publicly damaging.
The SACP believes public resources might have been already abused to effect this programme, and hence we are calling for an urgent investigation by the Public Accounts Committee, Auditor-General and Public Protector.
For more comments contact,
Provincial Secretary
Smiso Nkwanyana on 082 468 7184