INLSA
Mncwango
Bongani Hans
IFP national organiser Albert Mncwango has resigned, saying the party has made him relinquish the job he has held for 14 years.
He would remain a loyal member of the party, he said yesterday.
However, the IFP hit back, saying it had not asked Mncwango to step down, although plans to replace him with a “technocrat” were in place.
Mncwango has long been regarded as one of IFP president Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s loyalists.
The IFP leadership said it was shocked by his statement announcing that the party had asked him to resign “with immediate effect”.
“It is with regret that I have to announce that I have been asked by the leadership to step down as the national organiser of the Inkatha Freedom Party with immediate effect in order to allow the party to implement certain transformation changes,” his statement read.
Mncwango’s resignation takes place as the party battles to recover from a loss of sup- port in KwaZulu-Natal following the formation of the National Freedom Party (NFP) by Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi.
The IFP lost several municipalities to an ANC-NFP coalition after last year’s local government elections.
After Mncwango’s an-nouncement, IFP spokesman Joshua Mazibuko issued a statement denying the allegations.
“Mncwango claims that the leadership of the IFP has asked him to step down as the national organiser with immediate effect, to allow the party to implement certain transformation changes. This is not the case.”
The party had, however, been preparing to replace Mncwango with a “technocrat”, he said.
The position of national organiser – whose duties include organising meetings and conferences as well as overseeing membership growth and the maintenance of branches – would be discussed at the party’s national executive committee meeting this weekend, when he would also be asked to explain why he had issued his statement without informing the party.
A source said Mncwango resigned after the party leadership said on Monday that it wanted to give the position to “a non-politician”.
Contacted for comment, Mncwango said he felt relieved after relinquishing the position because he had other challenging duties to per- form as an IFP MP and member of the party’s national council.
An IFP insider, who would not be named, said that Mncwango was a senior party leader seen a threat to Buthelezi’s position.
“For some time now, Buthelezi has been telling members of the national executive committee that he is aware that certain people are after his position.
“This led to the party’s secretary-general, the Reverend Musa Zondi, announcing that he would not be available for any position when the party holds its elective conference.
“Buthelezi recently appointed a committee to investigate who was after his position.
“This committee questioned people who were close to senior leaders, such as the Reverend Zondi and Mncwango. Luckily for Mncwango, the investigation found he had no interest in that position.
“However, the campaign to isolate him continued,” the source said, adding that it was known that Mncwango’s position would be given to Gauteng IFP councillor Alco Ngobese.
