"Thank you for voting IFP"
Responding to the results of yesterday's by-elections (Wednesday, 5th December 2012) in which the IFP retained Ward 39 (KwaMashu, Durban Metro), took Ward 2 from the NFP (Somkhele,Hlabisa) and also took Ward 4 from the ANC (Nkandla), IFP KZN Leader of the Opposition, Mr Blessed Gwala, said:
"The IFP is very excited by the results of yesterday's by-elections but also extremely humbled by the trust that the people have placed in the IFP. We are proud of all our candidates and the hard work and commitment by all concerned. To the voters we say thank you for voting IFP."
"The Ward 39, Durban Metro, victory is in honour of our slain comrade, Cllr Themba Xulu. We hope we did you proud by retaining your ward. The people of Ward 39 have spoken loudly by winning more than 70% of the vote. There can be no greater tribute than that. We hope that in-coming Cllr Mduduzi F Ngcamu, will continue his tradition of being one with the people and work for service delivery in Ward 39," continued Gwala.
"We are also very grateful to the people of Ward 2 in Hlabisa. Thank you for voting IFP. The close result proves that every vote does indeed count. Your victory shows the IFP elephants are indeed on the march to victory in the province of KZN in 2014," he continued.
"The 55% victory in Ward 4 of the Nkandla Municipality, in which the much discussed and ever expanding home of President Jacob Zuma is situated is a particularly sweet one. The people of Nkandla can obviously tell the difference between "community" development and service delivery for all as opposed to "individual" development and self-service," Gwala said.
"We thank the people of Nkandla and we look forward to the broader consequences of this result," he concluded.
Statement issued by Mr Blessed Gwala, MPL IFP KZN Leader of the Opposition, December 6 2012
IFP: GOVERNMENT RESOURCES FAILED TO WIN VOTES FOR ANC
The IFP says yesterday's by-election results are a blow to the ANC-NFP Alliance and are also an irrefutable proof that the people of KwaZulu-Natal have matured politically beyond being hypnotized by ANC's dirty tricks of using government resources to win votes. The IFP said this in a statement it should today following yesterday's four by-elections which took place in KwaZulu-Natal. The IFP won three of the four by-elections. Two of these elections took place in the Ethekwini Metro where the IFP won Ward 39 with an increased majority. The other two were held in Hlabisa (Somkele) and Nkandla; both of which were won by the IFP.
In his statement IFP Deputy National Spokesperson, Joshua Mazibuko said:
"First and foremost the IFP wishes to express our profound gratitude to the people of KwaMashu, Hlabisa and Nkandla - as well as the people of Ward 72 in Durban where we did not win - for showing their resolute support of our party during yesterday's elections. The convincing results gained by the IFP demonstrated beyond any shadow of doubt that our people have reached political maturity such that they are no longer hypnotized by the ANC's dirty tricks which are paraded as government programs.
"Our people stood with us despite incessant onslaught by the ANC which despatched its MEC's to campaign in the areas where there were By-elections under the guise of service delivery. Obviously the ANC will vehemently deny this; but it remains a fact that it was not coincidental that MEC's Mr Willies Mchunu, Mrs Weziwe Thusi and Dr Sbongiseni Dhlomo all decided, precisely at the height of by-election campaigns, to visit these very areas.
"Once again the IFP reiterates that we abhor this clear adulteration of democracy by a party which claims to be the custodian of democracy. And we call on all men and women of integrity throughout South Africa to reject these political shenanigans by the ANC even in 2014 because undoubtedly the ANC will do the same then as well."
Statement issued by Mbongeleni Joshua Mazibuko IFP Deputy National Spokesperson, December 6 2012
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