EFF, IFP in a war of words after allegations that the IFP was planning to assassinate Marshall Dlamini

Economic Freedom Fighters(EFF) secretary general Marshall Dlamini is allegedly a marked man. Picture: Itumeleng English/African News Agency (ANA)

Economic Freedom Fighters(EFF) secretary general Marshall Dlamini is allegedly a marked man. Picture: Itumeleng English/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Feb 7, 2023

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Durban - Once coalition partners, the EFF and the IFP are locked in a bitter war of words over an alleged assassination plot which was allegedly uncovered by the police.

On Tuesday morning, the EFF dropped a bombshell where it accused some unnamed senior IFP leaders of hatching a plan to kill its secretary general, Marshall Dlamini.

The EFF said the police told the party that Dlamini would be killed because the IFP leaders believed that he had engineered the recent collapse of the coalition pact between the two.

The collapse of the pact has left several municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal vulnerable to a takeover by the ANC with the help of the EFF and the National Freedom Party.

On Wednesday, the Nongoma local municipality in KwaZulu-Natal is due to hear a vote of no confidence against mayor Albert Mncwango. One of the parties that tabled the motion is the ANC.

“The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has received a briefing from the South African Police Service (SAPS) that senior leaders of Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) are plotting to assassinate EFF secretary general Marshall Dlamini.

“The reliable intelligence reports illustrate that senior leaders of the IFP believe that our secretary general is solely responsible for the collective decision we took to initiate and support motions of no confidence against IFP mayors in several municipalities in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.

“The EFF condemns, with contempt, the plots to assassinate our secretary general or any leader for selfish and narrow political purposes.

“We do not take these reports lightly because the province of KwaZulu-Natal has been defined by many political assassinations for a very long time, a habit which the EFF has never been associated with and has condemned since our formation 10 years ago,” the EFF said.

Hitting back, the IFP denied the charges levelled by its former coalition partner, saying it was a smear campaign.

"Straight from the ANC People’s War Handbook, the EFF this morning woke up South Africa with another dose of sensationalist, unsubstantiated and fabricated allegations about the IFP allegedly plotting to assassinate Mr Marshall Dlamini.

"This is classical historical ANC playbook stuff: false narratives, victimhood, and wherein they bring the security forces on-side and then accuse third parties of doing what they themselves are about to do.

“The EFF’s delusions of grandeur have come full circle in the face of a brewing internal revolt emanating out of its decision to restore the ANC into power. The EFF exaggerated its influence assuming its parting of ways with us would spell disaster for the IFP,” the IFP said.

The IFP added that Minister of Police Bheki Cele and the State Security Agency should clarify the allegation against it.

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