The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) says it has addressed the concerns that were raised by its youth brigade regarding its participation in the Multi-Party Charter for South Africa.
The concerns of the IFP Youth Brigade were addressed during the weekly meeting of the party, which was held on Monday in Durban.
That was after the youth brigade met over the weekend and said the issue of coalitions was still being discussed within the party, and the pronouncement made by the party’s president, Velenkosini Hlabisa, at Kempton Park during the moonshot pact meeting was not in line with that.
Among the major parties that are part of the charter are the Democratic Alliance (DA), IFP, ActionSA, and Freedom Front Plus.
They met to map out a charter that will see them form a coalition government to unseat the African National Congress (ANC) which they accuse of ruining South Africa.
In a letter to Hlabisa on Saturday, the youth brigade said, according to its understanding, no party has been declared its enemy, and it noted that the IFP was once in a coalition with the ANC.
"On numerous occasions, the NEC of the party deliberated and resolved on the following:
"1. That the IFP will not close a door for any political party for the purposes of possible coalitions.
"2. The party will not sign or enter into an agreement/declaration on or before elections.
"3. That the IFP has not declared any political party as its political enemy," the youth brigade said in the letter to Hlabisa.
It added that: "The declaration/pre-election arrangement signed, and commitments presented by our leaders on behalf of the party at the Multi-Party Charter for South Africa are contrary to the party position."
NEWS: Not everyone in the IFP is happy with the party being a participant in the moonshot pact. The IFP youth brigade wants the party to consider withdrawing from the pact. @IOL pic.twitter.com/HnD7iFn9Eu
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) August 19, 2023
After the weekly meeting on Monday, the mother body issued a statement in which it said the matter has been put to bed as the charter’s document is a work in progress.
"The Charter is currently being engaged by the National Executive Committee, with possibilities of further improvements to the document as the Party would deem necessary," the IFP said after the meeting.
In a separate statement after the meeting on Monday, the youth brigade concurred with the mother body and said: "The NEC assured the IFPYB that the Charter is a working document which will be engaged, with possibilities of further improvements to the document as the party would deem it necessary."
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
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