‘All of us were scared’: KwaZulu-Natal averts elections bloodbath

Several IFP councillors were killed in the build up to 4 November. With the results of the local government elections expected to be announced on Sunday evening, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) says it is relieved there was no bloodshed during this period. The party lost several councillor candidates in the lead up to the elections. In some parts of KZN some of their volunteers had also been attacked while campaigning. The Citizen spoke to Tobias Gumede, a member of the party’s National Council, about the attacks on councillor candidates in the province. “The stability in our province is very good – all of us were scared things were going to go very bad. But definitely we managed to avoid that and there was no violence,” he said. Gumede added the party also wishes to extend its condolences to families of members who were killed in the build up to the local government elections on 4 November 2026. “To the families, we actually offer our condolences and know their family members were part of a struggle and we wish that God is with them. “We appreciate that their family members actually contributed upliftment of our country,” he said. How did KZN do it? Gumede believes KZN had avoided political violence, a commitment that all party leaders made in signing the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) code of conduct pledge. “My party and other parties signed a code of conduct and the leaders were honest in keeping to the promise. They actually spoke to their members so we would like to thank all the party leaders,” he said. Elections results Gumede said the IFP was pleased with its performance in KZN despite lagging behind the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party. “I think we have done well looking at the board because we have been able to retain at least five of our municipalities. When you look at the results and the ranking it is us and the MK that are strong in the province,” he said. He said despite the MK party making inroads in municipalities in the province, the IFP does not see the MK party as a threat. “We are not scared of the MK party,” he said. Gumede denied the premier’s decision to rope the army into parts of KZN had angered some of the party’s supporters in the province. “There is no truth to that, it’s actually that you cannot control how people cast their votes,” he said. Gumede added the IFP in the province is now ready to begin coalition talks. “The IFP is open to talk to everyone as the party has said, therefore, I will leave that to the National Executive Committee to decide,” he said.