The IFP Youth Brigade on Thursday reacted angrily to a statement by the ANC Youth League president who called on his party members to campaign in IFP strongholds.Speaking in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday, African National Congress Youth League president Julius Malema said his party would campaign in
Nongoma despite attacks on ANC supporters there during a rally at the weekend.
Malema said his party was not afraid of the Inkatha Freedom Party supporters who allegedly assaulted ANC supporters, adding that the ANC
would go back to Nongoma and even campaign in the backyard of IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Youth Brigade spokesman Thulasizwe Buthelezi said campaigning in the backyard of the party's leader would trigger a serious reaction from
IFP supporters.
"It is an act of extreme provocation and an unforgivable insult for Julius Malema to say that he will campaign in Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi's backyard and that he will go and recruit Prince Buthelezi's
children to join the ANC.
"If the ANC provokes us then they must expect a reaction. We promise Malema and the ANC that our reaction will not be mild."
Buthelezi said what the ANC had seen so far was "a Sunday school picnic compared to what was to follow if the party continued to provoke, insult and harass the IFP and its leader".
He was referring to incidents at the ANC rally at the weekend. Six people were severely assaulted when the buses transporting them to the rally were hit by stones.
Zulu Royal family member, Prince Zeblon Zulu and his daughter-in-law, Dorris Zulu were shot at after leaving the rally. They both survived.
Buthelezi warned the ANC that if it provoked IFP members it had to expect a reaction.
"ANC president Jacob Zuma lives in an IFP-controlled ward within an IFP-controlled municipality. Yet no IFP member has ever gone to his
homestead to campaign out of respect for the office he holds," he said.
Source : Sapa /bm/gj
Date : 05 Feb 2009 13:28
