Boisterous Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) supporters on Thursday morning carried a coffin draped in ANC and National Freedom Party (NFP) t-shirts as they stormed the Nquthu municipal offices‚ singing “owethu lomaspala‚ owani lombango [this is our municipality‚ what’s this fuss all about].
Outside supporters celebrated by hooting‚ revving their car engines and drifting with screeching tyres as ANC supporters looked on in total disbelief.
The IFP claimed early successes in Nquthu‚ with reports of a landslide victory in a number of voting districts after by-elections at the dissolved northern KwaZulu-Natal municipality.
By 10am the IFP had about 15 of the 17 wards in the bag following Wednesday’s poll.
The IEC will hold a press briefing to announce official results.
A win by the IFP would signal a comeback for the party‚ which lost the municipality in 2011 at the hands of a fractious ANC/NFP coalition.
IFP national chairperson Blessed Gwala said: “Today should be a public holiday in South Africa.”
The IFP now looks set to control the uMzinyathi District Municipality.
This is a developing story.
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