Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) president Velenkosini Hlabisa says his party is extremely satisfied with the results it got from the electorate, which have helped to reduce the ANC’s majority.
Hlabisa said the IFP was the only party that did not lose votes, adding that it has in fact increased its support base across the country.
“We have achieved our objective by removing the ANC in KZN, pushing out the ANC in Gauteng, and pushing down the ANC at the national level, and we have achieved all of that.
“There’s also a perception that the MK party has eaten away at our membership, and that is not true because we are the only party that has increased its membership,” the IFP leader said.
Hlabisa applauded the media for affording the party space to convey their message to supporters and the public.
He said the Multi-Party Charter (MPC) would be meeting later this evening to craft a way forward.
“We will be meeting with the partners to discuss the election results and decide on the way forward. On Sunday, I will be having a meeting with the IFP's national executive committee (NEC) to discuss our options and decide who we will be getting into coalition with.
“However, we must emphasise that we are not desperate to be in government and lead as the IFP,” Hlabisa explained.
The IFP leader said he was happy his party would be represented in most of the legislatures in the country.
Hlabisa also applauded citizens who directed their anger towards the ANC to the ballot papers, making sure that they punished the governing party.
He said if the MPC gets fifty plus one votes, it would give South Africans a new alternative government that would serve the interests of the people.
“As things stand, the MPC doesn’t have enough votes to hold government, hence the need to meet this evening to make a conscious engagement and informed decision as to how we go forward.
“The people of South Africa have made it very clear that they want a government that would work together as a combination, with sufficient checks and balances because the principle of using the majority is over.”
The IFP leader said this opened a door for parties to work together and do away with deals being done in dark corners.
Currently, the IFP has just over half a million votes, with more than 90% of the counting completed.
The MPC partner with the most votes is the Democratic Alliance (DA), with 3.3 million votes, followed by the Freedom Front Plus with a quarter of a million votes.
The Star