The IFP has noted ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe’s recent statements, at what was a supposed ‘anti-racism’ march on Friday.

Mr Gwede Mantashe’s ridiculous statements allude to the fact that “democracy is about the ANC exercising its right of being the majority party”. Whilst there are majorities and minorities in a democracy, one cannot wish away the view of minorities in such a way that whatever the majority says prevails, that is tantamount to autocracy.

The Secretary General of the ANC also suggests that judiciary may have “no right” to intervene in what parliament does.

The beauty of our constitutional principles is that they make provision for a constitutional court that has the right to review any legislation passed by parliament that does not conform to constitutional principles. Mr Matashe’s understanding of our Constitution is completely flawed and misdirected.

Blaming others for a “regime change” requires him to look at the ANC’s own house first. These are the signs of a nervous leadership where cracks are appearing. It is absolutely absurd that in his statements he alludes that the Mandela Washington Fellowship, a programme which trains and educates young Africans, is some sort of a cloak and dagger spy programme bent on a South African coup d’état against Government. This unnecessary paranoia is cause for concern.

We ask the voting public to see through these statements as frivolous and designed to sow dissent, and divide our people. The march was intended to be about racism, but however ended up being a rouse to “blame everyone but ourselves”.