The IFP national policy conference highlighted two hot button issues in the country – the Expropriation Bill and NHI – with the party saying it supported the expropriation of land with compensation while it raised concerns over the funding model for the universal health-care system.
The party was giving feedback following its national policy conference that ended on Wednesday in Empangeni.
The top six issues at the conference were crime, unemployment (including unemployed graduates), load shedding, corruption, the education system and the health-care system.
The IFP said it supported the Expropriation Bill but differed with the way it was being followed, especially as the party believes that those who own land must be compensated if the State deems there are grounds for expropriation.
MP Russel Cebekhulu, who led the policy discussions on land, said the party did not agree with expropriation without compensation as this left the bill vulnerable to land being given to people who did not want to work it.
The bill is currently sitting with the Select Committee on Transport, Public Service and Administration and will return to Parliament in February to allow for further consultation.
“We support the idea of expropriation but are wary of how in the past the State bought large tracts of land for use as farms but instead of being used productively, these have been lying dormant.
“Those who received the land developed residential houses,” said Cebekhulu.
He said South Africa should not go the way of countries where expropriated land had been given to a civil servant.
“If you thought apartheid was bad, you do not want to go there ...” He said land expropriation must not be “just a slogan” and the end goal must be defined upfront.
On health and universal health cover, the party said all South Africans deserve equitable access to affordable and quality health-care services.
Bonginkosi Buthelezi said the IFP fully supports the NHI Bill in principle.
“Let us make it clear that this is not a governing party policy but a WHO (World Health Organization) initiative and from 2012 other countries have already started to implement universal health care.”
Buthelezi said while NHI had good intentions, they have concerns which have been raised in Parliament in the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.
“One of these concerns is that we support a review of the NHI funding model and we need to have a careful look at the role of medical aids and health-care providers. We also need to ensure the discussions are in line with the Constitution by listening to the stakeholders,” Buthelezi said.
IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa in his closing address on Wednesday said the party had emerged from the conference with implementable and practical solutions designed to “set our country on a path of resuscitation and revival”.
He said the party was confident ahead of next year’s national general elections.
“On the back of sustained, hard work, we have seen tremendous growth in membership in the IFP. Even as we speak, new branches are being formed, while some 850 new branches await inauguration. This is testament to the success of our decision to focus on mobilising support and preparing branches, as uMntwana waKwaPhindangene (the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi) instructed us to do,” Hlabisa said.
The Mercury