IFP’s future: Beyond KZN, embracing change under Hlabisa

It will be interesting to see how the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) fares in the upcoming elections – not only in its heartland, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), but elsewhere.

The party’s new leader, Velenkosini Hlabisa, is almost diametrically different from his predecessor, Mangosuthu Buthelezi. He is more modulated in both his speech and in his political positioning.

An indication of that is his professed commitment to making peace with the ANC because the feuding between the two parties has been simmering or raging – depending on the time and the characters involved – for four decades.

It is also interesting that he does not believe the upstart uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party of Jacob Zuma is a threat to the IFP, despite the fact that both make strong emotional appeals to Zulu culture.

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It will be interesting to see if his observation is correct that it will be the ANC and MK who cannibalise each other’s support bases for votes.

Under Hlabisa, the IFP has already had some strong showing in by-elections in KZN, possibly an indication of the party’s appeal for younger voters.

The challenge will be to extend the IFP’s influence into the broader South Africa. It will certainly be a party to watch in the future.