IFP factions to challenge Buthelezi’s wishes

According to various reports, certain members within the Inkatha Freedom Party ranks are asking for a rerun of the KwaZulu-Natal elective conference which saw Nkandla mayor Thamsanqa Ntuli emerge victorious as the party’s chairperson within the province this past weekend.

IFP director of communications Liezl van der Merwe said in a statement declaring the outcome of the conference: “We believe that the conference has elected the right leadership to grow the IFP ahead of the all-important 2021 local government elections and it is the right team to continue to inspire, guide, and provide a clear vision for the party in KZN.”

It was later reported that the party’s leader, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, wanted to use the province’s leadership position as a trade-off to stop one of the factions within the party from opposing his preferred successor, Velenkosini Hlabisa.

Had Ntuli not been elected chairperson, he would have been free and clear to face off against Hlabisa for party leadership at the party’s main elective conference is set to take place in August.

Times Live reports that members from eNkululekweni, under the Amajuba constituency in Newcastle, have written a letter to party leadership accusing Buthelezi of being in breach of the IFP constitution by using his speech to influence delegates to vote for his preferred candidate.

“During an elective conference of any structure, no one is allowed to practise lobbying for any candidate who will participate but it was clear before the house that Ndabezitha [Buthelezi] was lobbying for Cde Thami Ntuli as he said he wished that Ntuli be elected as the provincial chairperson. His Excellency [Buthelezi] made it clear that if delegates don’t vote for Ntuli it will be … like those who betrayed Jesus Christ on the last days,” read part of the letter.

The disgruntled members also went on to question this past weekend’s voting process which they say observers took part in.

“Observers and delegates were mixed … inside the venue … which led to some observers voting because the house was disorganised.”

IFP national spokesperson and MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa could not be reached for comment on the matter.

READ NEXT: Buthelezi ‘was within his rights to participate in IFP nomination process’

UPDATE: The IFP has subsequently denied the receipt of such a letter by the party’s NEC, said there was no discussion on the table about a rerun of the provincial conference and that it was satisfied with the outcome.

(Compiled by Kaunda Selisho)

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