THE EFF has claimed that senior leaders of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) are plotting to assassinate EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini.
The party said it has received a briefing from the South African Police Service about the alleged plot.
EFF spokesman Sinawo Tambo said, according to the intelligence reports, the IFP leaders believe that Dlamini was solely responsible for the collective decision they took to initiate and support motions of no confidence against IFP mayors in several municipalities in KZN.
“The EFF condemns with contempt the plots to assassinate our secretary-general or any leader for selfish and narrow political purposes. We do not take these reports lightly because the province of KZN has been defined by many political assassinations for a very long time, a habit which the EFF has never been associated with and has condemned since our formation 10 years ago,” said Tambo.
He said when the IFP members disrupted meetings of the EFF in different parts of KZN in 2014, the leadership of the EFF organised a meeting with the leadership of the IFP under its former president Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi and agreed that violence cannot and should never be an instrument of political persuasion.
He said after the 2016 local government elections, it was the EFF that played a leading in role in ensuring that the IFP participates in the government of the City of Joburg.
After the 2021 local government elections, the EFF played a central role in voting against the ANC and establishing IFP led governments in several municipalities in KZN.
The EFF has had its councillors resigning in some municipalities citing coalition breakdown.
The party has signed “a gentlemen’s pact” with the ANC and NFP in the province.
“When we decided to actively participate in government, we convened cordial meetings with the leadership of the IFP and communicated our decision,” said Tambo.
The IFP has called the EFF’s claim of assassination a vile misinformation.
"Straight from the ANC People’s War Handbook the EFF this morning woke up South Africa with another dose of sensationalist, unsubstantiated and fabricated allegations about the IFP allegedly plotting to assassinate Mr Marshall Dlamini," said spokesman Mkhuleko Hlengwa.
He said what the EFF did was classical historical ANC playbook stuff of peddling false narratives, victimhood, and wherein they bring the security forces on-side and then accuse third parties of doing what they are about to do.
"The EFF’s delusions of grandeur have come full circle in the face of a brewing internal revolt emanating out of its decision to restore the ANC into power. The EFF exaggerated its influence, assuming its parting of ways with us would spell disaster for the IFP," he said.
Hlengwa said the allegations were inflammatory and dangerous politicking.
He said it was suspicious that the allegations came after the EFF’s latest political stunt of removing themselves from co-governance with the IFP did not yield the results they had hoped for.
"They believed they could force the IFP into a position to hand over municipalities, but the IFP was unwilling to betray the trust of the communities that voted for us," said Hlengwa.
He said if SAPS genuinely knew of an assassination plot, and knew who was plotting it, they would have made arrests.
He said: "The IFP calls on Minster Bheki Cele and the State Security Agency to clarify this allegation."
