The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) says it hopes to become the kingmaker in Gauteng after the November 1 Local Government Elections.
After interacting with the residents of Gauteng over the past weeks, the party’s leader Velenkosini Hlabisa will launch their Gauteng Manifesto in Soweto on Sunday.
In the 2016 local elections the IFP managed to have at least ten councillors elected in the province.
But speaking to SABC News ahead of their provincial launch, the party’s provincial Chairperson Bonginkosi Dlamini says they want to be serious players in most municipalities in the province.
IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa takes party’s election campaign to Soweto
Manifesto launch
On the 30th of September, Hlabisa launched the party’s election manifesto in Durban, saying the party offers the greatest hope to South Africans to escape what he says is the ANC’s failure to govern, deliver jobs and provide people with security.
Hlabisa said the IFP is the official opposition in KwaZulu-Natal and has a track record of good governance.
He outlined the IFP’s ten-point manifesto, which includes leading with integrity, empowering ordinary people, ensuring food security, partnerships with traditional leaders and making communities safer.
Hlabisa said the IFP can help South Africans escape the nightmare of the ANC’s rule.
“The IFP has been calling for a specialised corruption court to deal with transgressions of the Public Finance Management Act, the Municipal Finance Act. The IFP will lead with integrity to ensure that our councillors understand and abide by the IFP’s principle of servant leadership. We require every candidate of the IFP to sign a contract of good governance.”
Also addressing the launch, former party leader Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi said the IFP will not hesitate to remove councillors who fail to deliver.
“We pride ourselves on fielding councillors candidates who are honest capable and skilled people who understand and accept the discipline demanded by the IFP. We hold ourselves accountable every day because they are our ambassadors they carry the IFP brand in all that they do. We are therefore heavily invested in ensuring that they serve you with integrity accountability and skills. We never hesitate as the leadership of the IFP to remove and expel IFP councillors and even mayor’s if we are not satisfied with their performance.”
The party hopes to retain all ten municipalities under its control and has its eyes on ANC-led municipalities – including the eThekwini metro.
