South Africa: IFP Boss Shuts Down ANC's Call to Axe Buthelezi Again

What the report says

IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa has rejected the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal’s renewed demand that provincial Cogta MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi be removed from office. Speaking at a media briefing reported by Scrolla and distributed by AllAfrica, Hlabisa said the issue should be handled through coalition channels rather than in public, arguing that one party should not tell another how to manage its own internal affairs.

The dispute is tied to tensions over uMkhanyakude District Municipality’s proposal to spend R14.6 million on five water tankers through a 36-month instalment plan. Buthelezi has opposed the purchase, saying the district should avoid taking on extra debt while the provincial government has already deployed five tankers to affected communities at no cost to the municipality. He has described the plan as financially reckless and has pointed to water support already sent to Jozini, Big Five Hlabisa, uMhlabuyalingana and Mtubatuba.

The ANC has defended the planned purchase as lawful and argued that a permanent fleet would strengthen long-term water delivery. Its provincial spokesperson also accused Buthelezi of using the Cogta portfolio to target ANC-run municipalities, language that reflects the sharper political tone around the issue. According to the report, this is not the first clash over Buthelezi’s role, and a similar dispute last year did not result in the reshuffle that had been discussed. The episode matters because it highlights the strain inside the coalition arrangement in KwaZulu-Natal and the broader contest over municipal control and service delivery.