Rustenburg – The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) is contesting local government elections in three North West municipalities.

The party has put up candidates in one ward in the Moretele municipality, three wards in Madibeng municipality and nine wards in Mahikeng municipality.

“We hold our councillors accountable for providing good governance and honest leadership. We ensure that they are always available to you and prioritise your needs above all else. IFP councillors do not disappear after you have elected them. They work hard, provide feedback and find solutions. Because we have a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, our councillors are held to a high standard of moral integrity.”

He said the IFP has governed at national, provincial and local level.

He said the IFP believed that local government must be accountable to local communities.

“Local government is constitutionally mandated to provide basic services, including the delivery of water and sanitation. Over the past five years, and indeed long before that, the ruling party has proven that it cannot be trusted. It has failed to earn your trust.”

“We cannot have municipalities that are riddled with corruption while ordinary citizens bear the brunt of poor service delivery. Incompetence cannot the tolerated. Corrupt officials must be investigated and immediately dismissed if found guilty of committing a criminal offence. There is no other way to ensure the integrity of a municipality. The community needs to know that corrupt officials will always be dealt with and corruption will not be tolerated.”

In the election manifesto, the IFP said instead of making people dependent on social grants that were far from sufficient to provide proper nutrition, the party would support subsistence farmers by providing materials and equipment to promote local economic development.

“We develop co-operatives and assist emerging farmers, in particular projects led by women and youth. Farm workers are a key component of food security, and the IFP prioritises their rights and needs. We support and promote the sustainable use of land,” Gwala said.

During the 2019 general election, IFP North West leader Grace Phaswana said the party was not expecting a seat in the provincial legislature but that it wants to grow in the province.

According to the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) the total number of registered voters across all nine provinces is 26 204 579, of which 1 671 551 were in North West, 6.38 percent of the total.

IOL