IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa said the party was no stranger to coalition politics, having worked with parties for decades to achieve common goals.
Hlabisa on Tuesday delivered the opening address at the party’s first national policy conference since 2008.
He said the Multi-Party Charter, which sees the IFP working with other parties such as the DA and ActionSA, was not unusual in the party’s political spectrum.
“The IFP is no stranger to coalitions. We have worked with other parties for decades, seeking common goals. Prince Buthelezi himself taught us to always engage across political boundaries, to build bridges and to find common ground.
“Through his leadership, South Africa’s first non-racial, non-discriminatory government was born: the KwaZulu-Natal Joint Executive Authority. It was a coalition government that pointed the way to a government of national unity.”
Hlabisa said although the party has entered into the Multi-Party Charter for South Africa, it remains autonomous.
“We will contest the 2024 elections as an independent IFP. We will campaign alone as the IFP. The policies we design will be IFP policies. Our manifesto will be the IFP’s commitment. And votes cast for the IFP will go to the IFP.
“The Charter is a commitment to work with like-minded organisations after the elections to create a government to replace the ANC-led government if they fail to secure a majority. It is our commitment to South Africa to put the country first,” Hlabisa said.
He said this in itself is an IFP principle.
“We will not compromise on who we are or what we believe in. The IFP is a brand that South Africa needs, because South Africa needs a leadership she can trust.”
He said every election the party has contested, since 1994, the IFP has presented its policies to the electorate and asked for the people’s mandate to lead.
“We have been clear about what we believe in and what we stand for, and our core values have never changed. At this point, the IFP is a known quantity in South Africa’s political landscape.
“Policies, however, must evolve, because needs evolve and new challenges emerge that demand solutions. In 1994, nobody was talking about corruption or load shedding. But in 2024, any political party that does not have a solution to corruption and load shedding has no place on the ballot paper.”
Hlabisa told delegates that the policies they present to the electorate in 2024 must be responsive to the immediate needs of the people, while building for the long-term future of South Africa.
The Mercury