‘All of us were scared’: KZN averts elections bloodbath

Local government elections in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) have concluded with no reported incidents of violence, according to the Independent African Party (IFP). The party's National Council member Tobias Gumede expressed relief over the peaceful nature of the elections, noting that his party lost some councillors and had volunteers attacked.

Gumede emphasized that the IFP is grateful for the stability in the province and that there were no violent confrontations. He also conveyed condolences to the families of individuals who lost their lives during the election period, acknowledging their contributions to the country's progress. Gumede attributes KZN's success to a code of conduct signed by multiple parties, which led to the leaders honoring their commitments and communicating with their constituents.

Despite the IFP trailing the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party in the results, Gumede remains confident in the party's performance and stated that the IFP does not consider the MK party a threat. He clarified that the involvement of the army in certain areas of KZN was not a cause for concern among the party's supporters. Gumede affirmed that the IFP is open to coalition talks with various parties, and the decision-making process will be handled by the party's National Executive Committee.