By: Noluthando Mchunu
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) Women’s Brigade in KwaZulu-Natal has strongly condemned the assault on provincial legislature Speaker Nontombeko Boyce and legislature secretary Narusha Naidoo, allegedly carried out by members of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) during a recent legislature sitting.
IFP Women’s Brigade provincial chairperson Gail Ntshayintshayi described the incident as a deliberate obstruction of parliamentary duties and a serious breakdown of order in the House.
She said the disruption and physical intimidation directed at senior female office-bearers amounted not only to an assault on women but also to a clear violation of parliamentary rules and democratic principles.
Ntshayintshayi emphasised that legislatures are constitutionally mandated spaces for lawful debate and oversight, and any form of violence or intimidation undermines the rule of law and public trust in democratic institutions. She further noted that attacks on women in leadership positions reflect a broader pattern of gender-based hostility that must be confronted decisively.
The IFP Women’s Brigade has called for urgent criminal investigations and swift action against those responsible, insisting on full accountability to safeguard the integrity of the legislature and to ensure the safety and dignity of all public representatives.
