The Inkatha Freedom Party’s(IFP) national elective conference has been postponed indefinitely amid reports of growing divisions in the party over leadership positions.
During an extended National Council meeting party leader, Mangosuthu Buthelezi allegedly circulated copies of conversations on social media in which some party members discredited each other.
However, the party denies that faction battles have caused the postponement of the conference.
IFP Deputy National Chairperson Albert Mncwango says: “We all would have liked to have our conference within a specified period but obviously we can’t hold the conference, we are not ready. If the structures are not ready, we cannot hold a conference if those processes have not been completed. We realised that there are certain processes that we need to engage in and our members understand that.”
The IFP last held a National Conference in December 2012. For months now, the party has been preparing its 35th conference and a date had been set for the end of this month.
Over 5 000 delegates from 1 500 branches countrywide were expected to partake.
The party had however been confronted with numerous challenges. Early this year, party leaders were dealing with bogus branches. Sources inside the party also claimed there were growing divisions over preferred candidates.
Party leaders however deny its factional battles that led to the postponement of the conference.
