Ulundi: 7 October 2006  
 

1.0 INTRODUCTION 

I feel highly honoured and humbled to get this opportunity of presenting this report to the Annual General Conference. The Annual General Conference gives an opportunity to the membership of the Party to hold their leaders accountable to them through delegates representing them at the Conference. Meeting together as we do here at this Conference we also have an opportunity to review the Party’s overall performance with a view to effecting improvements where delegates might feel the Party did not do well. 

This report will endeavour to sketch a picture of the state of our organization so that every delegate here present will be able to do a realistic assessment of the fortunes and health of the Party.

2.0 HEAD OFFICE

 2.1    Location

As you know, the Head Office of our Party is located in Durban and Ulundi. The Durban Office carries the majority of our staff and the Ulundi Office is the operational base of the Office of the President. However, the Ulundi Office also houses the staff of the Ulundi Constituency Office just as the Durban Head Office also accommodates the Durban Metro District Office. 

2.2   Staff Compliment

The total staff compliment employed by the Party in its Head Offices is 48. The Durban Office has 33 staff members, and the balance of 15 is based in the Ulundi Office. 

2.3 Head Office Organisation

Apart from what I have already stated the Head Office of the Party is organized as follows:

2.3.1 Office of the President

As I pointed out the Office of the President mainly operates from Ulundi even though the President and the National Chairperson do also have offices in the Durban Head Office Building. 

The Office of the President is headed by Mr TOS Duma who is the Personal Assistant to the President. Mr Duma is assisted by 14 staff members in various capacities. I am sure you will readily agree that this is not an acceptable state of affairs since this office is the principal office of our Party. The amount of work that this office has to contend with far exceeds the staff compliment allocated to it. We are a poor Party, which lives from hand to mouth, and as such we are forced to make do with this grossly unacceptable situation. 

2.3.2 Office of the Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General

The Offices of the Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General are located in the Durban Head Office. Both the Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General carry out their day-to-day functions from here. They are assisted by various staff members allocated to them in the execution of their duties. The truth of the matter is that these offices are quite overloaded too but there is no immediate solution owing to the fact that we are a severely under-resourced Party. 

2.3.3 Office of the Administrative Secretary

The Administrative Secretary is the key official of the Party responsible for the day-to-day administrative functions of the Party. This Office provides administrative support services to all other Offices of the Party already mentioned. It too is a heavily overloaded office, which has to cope with demands on a daily basis. If we had our way, this office would have been better resourced to enable it to service the Party optimally. 

2.3.4 Office of the Treasurer-General and the Finance Department

The Office of the Treasurer-General is also located in the Durban Head Office where it closely supervises the Finance Department. The Finance Department is daily inundated with requests and urgent demands for financial assistance and expenditure. The main function of this Department is the careful stewardship of the resources of the Party. This Office has an unpleasant task of turning down various legitimate requests for funding some of which are unforeseen expenditure requests. 

2.3.5 DIRECTORATES

In 2002, the National Council authorized the establishment of the following Directorates to operate from the Head Office in Durban in order to streamline the political work of the Party: 

2.3.5.1 Communications Directorate

This Directorate took over the functions of the IFP Information Centre which was established in 1992. The Rev. KM Zondi was appointed as its Director and National Spokesperson and is assisted by Ms Nicky Lucas as Deputy-Director, who is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Directorate. The main task of this Directorate is to be the information nerve-centre of the Party, providing both members and the public with topical information and up-to-date news regarding the Party. Communications is a vast assignment, which requires lots and lots of resources. This is not possible for reasons already stated. However, this is the office which prepares the Party’s election materials and other visuals.

The Directorate also monitors newspapers and other publications, which disseminates news and information and takes corrective measures against any publication, which distorts the image and harms the reputation of the Party. It is also charged with a function of monitoring the electronic media. 

2.3.5.2 Party Organisation Directorate

This Directorate encompasses the office of the National Organiser and is headed by him. It is responsible for the organisation of the Party, which leads to the setting up of Party structures at all levels. The Directorate was born out the realization by the National Council that no single individual could be equal to the task of efficiently organizing the Party throughout the territory of the country. Certain members of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures were therefore appointed to oversee the organization of the Party in various Provinces alongside the National Organiser.

There are other full-time organisers which fall within the ambit of this Directorate and the Office of the National Organiser. 

2.3.5.3 Local Government Directorate

The Local Government Directorate serves as the local government desk available to service our members who serve in local government structures. The National Council decided to establish this Directorate out of a realization of the primary importance of this sphere of government and the various challenges and problems, which beset newly-elected municipal structures. This Directorate is headed by Mr Peter Smith.  This Directorate has a fully-functional Council Services Unit. 

2.3.5.4 HIV/AIDS Directorate

Owing to the prevalence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic the National Council saw it wise to consolidate the Party’s response through the establishment of this Directorate. This Directorate is headed by Dr Ruth Rabinowitz and has since its inception made several efforts to register an NGO to raise funds here and abroad to help fight the pandemic. So far the efforts of this Directorate have not yet yielded any positive results.  However, it co-ordinates numerous activities and initiatives at community level to care for the infected and affected. 

2.3.5.5 Community Development Directorate

Older members of the Party will remember that the Party used to operate a fully-fledged Inkatha Development Office (IDO) from the early 1980’s in order to promote and implement its twin-pillar principle of self-help and self-reliance. Several staff members of the Party were sent to Coady International Institute in Canada to be professionally trained in various methods of grassroots development and fighting poverty through the setting up of Credit Unions and Cooperatives. Later on government agencies also established initiatives along these lines and worked in this area to combat poverty. Lack of funding also led to the closure and disbandment of the IDO. However, in spite of the advent of a democratically elected government grassroots poverty has not abated. It was for these reasons that the National Council approved the establishment of this Directorate so that it could continue where the IDO had left off. It is regrettable that the Directorate is not as fully operational as it was intended to be owing to a variety of problems. However, after its launch in 2002 it was instrumental in assisting many groups of women set up their own registered cooperatives.

 2.3.5.6 The Leadership Development Institute

 Once again the National Council realized the pressing need for ongoing training of our members to equip them for the various leadership positions in all the three spheres of government. The Institute was set up as an autonomous registered body in order to make it easy for them to access donor funding to promote this noble cause. The Institute has its own Board of Governors and is headed by Mr AM Mpontshane as its Director. The Institute has been able to secure collaboration with the University of the Free State and together they have compiled various relevant courses in Political Leadership and Management. Despite the fact that the Institute is severely hamstrung by lack of adequate funding, it has succeeded to Train Trainers and Party Agents. 

2.3.5.7 Fundraising Task Team

Our President often reminds us that money is the milk of politics. Realizing that it was going to be impossible to achieve all these lofty political ideals and to promote the Party as a serious contender in the South African political market-place without adequate funding, the National Council authorized the establishment of the Fundraising Task Team with the status of a sub-directorate to attend fully to the task of raising funds for the Party on an on-going basis. The Task Team is headed by Mr EJ Lucas and has since its inception made presentations to various captains of industry here and abroad. The job has not been easy and satisfying because of the prejudice that prevails in many Board Rooms and as a result of pressures from hostile trade unions as well as the reluctance of many company executives to incur the wrath of the ruling Party from supporting the opposition.

 2.3.6 SPECIALISED NATIONAL COMMITTEES

Apart from the Directorates the National Council has established the following Special Committees to carry out certain specialized tasks within the Party: 

2.3.6.1 Strategy Coordination Unit (STRATCON)

No political party can function without well-thought out strategies and tactics. It was for this reason that the National Council established the Strategy Coordination Unit to attend to the mammoth and difficult task of devising strategies and tactics to enable the Party to operate effectively. The Rev. KM Zondi convenes this Unit. This is one of the most important Units of the Party in that it bears the responsibility of teasing out issues and make proposals of a strategic nature to the National Council from time to time.

 2.3.6.2 Constitution Review Committee (CRC)

The Constitution of the Party is a living document, which guides actions of the Party and gives it structural content. As we put it into operation many unforeseen problems arise. It was for this reason that the National Council established the Constitution Review Committee as a standing committee to continually attend to the task of improving the text of our Constitution by drafting proposals for the amendment of the Constitution. The Annual General Conference and Extra-ordinary General Conferences are the sole bodies of the Party empowered to amend the Constitution of the Party. This Conference will once again be requested to consider some proposals from this Committee for the amendment of the Constitution. The Rev. KM Zondi convenes this Committee. 

2.3.7 NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL COMMITTEES

The Constitution of our Party establishes the following National Committees, which are charged with certain tasks and functions: 

2.3.7.1 National Council

The National Council is the highest decision-making body in between Conferences and is charged with the task of running the entire Party on behalf of the general membership of the Party. I have already alluded to the various major decisions that the National Council has taken on your behalf in order to render our Party efficient and competitive. The call by our President for the renewal and regeneration of our Party has not spared even the National Council. It was for this reason that amendments were tabled before the Annual General Conference last year for the restructuring of the National Council. 

This Conference has had the task of electing a portion of new members of the National Council in order to fulfil the imperatives of renewal and regeneration. We hope that the newly-elected Members of the National Council will realize the immense responsibility that the Constitution and the Conference has placed on their shoulders. Some fight to become Members of the National Council simply to enhance their Curriculum Vitae (CV’s) without any desire to work hard alongside our President for the people and to advance the interests of the Party and to deepen democracy in our country. 

2.3.7.2 National Executive Committee

The National Executive Committee was formally authorized by last year’s Annual General Conference. This came about after our President called upon National Office Bearers who were elected in 2004 to meet every Monday to attend to the day-to-day running and management of the Party. The President has since August 2004 been travelling to Durban to attend the weekly meetings of the National Executive Committee. There is hardly a Monday that the NEC does not have an overloaded agenda of work to do. In terms of the Constitution, the NEC meets in-between meetings of the National Council and is empowered to take policy decisions and have these ratified by the National Council. This was done because it was becoming increasingly difficult to convene frequent meetings of the National Council to attend to the urgent business of the Party. 

2.3.7.3 Political Oversight Committee

The Political Oversight Committee (POC) was formally established by last year’s Annual General Conference after a trial run of a year. This Committee is chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General, Prof. CT Msimang, and is charged with a thankless but necessary task of exercising oversight over all the Party’s elected officials at all the three spheres of government. The Chairperson of the POC did table his report on the IFP’s governance track record yesterday evening, however, I think I would be remiss of my responsibilities if I did not caution those who spread negative propaganda about the workings of the POC. First of all, the POC makes proposals of its interventions to the NEC and frequently gets instructions from the NEC to intervene in situations that warrant urgent intervention. The unwarranted criticism of the POC is particularly pronounced among our Comrades who serve in local government structures as well as from officials from our lower structures who resent guidance and oversight. 

2.3.7.4 National Disciplinary Committee

The National Disciplinary Committee in its restructured form has been attending to matters of enforcing discipline on Party members mainly at national, provincial and district levels depending on the urgency of the matters brought before it. The NDC is currently constituted by the National Chairperson, who chairs it, the Secretary-General and three other Members appointed by the National Council. Inkosi SH Gumede, Mrs LA Mncwango and Adv. MJ Mathenjwa were appointed to serve as fulltime members of the NDC. Furthermore, Mrs LG Ngcobo, Ms Pat Lebenya-Ntanzi and Prince NE Zulu were appointed as alternate members. However, Conference will be called upon to consider a further amendment of the structure and composition of the NDC, and of the disciplinary process with a view to simplifying it.

 2.3.7.5 National Finance Committee

The Constitution also establishes the National Finance Committee (NFC) to work hand-in-hand with the Treasurer-General in the stewardship of the Party’s financial resources and property.  The NFC also has the responsibility of scrutinizing various proposals to secure the Party’s financial base and fundraising. 

2.3.7.6 Party Portfolio Committees

Section 3.21 of the Constitution establishes a number of Portfolio Committees to operate within the ambit of the National Council. These Committees serve as platforms of first instance in the formulation of Party policies over a range of areas affecting day-to-day political life in South Africa. Initially these Committees functioned reasonably well, however, of late they have not been able to operate optimally. Right now quite a number of policies need to be updated but because of the inability of the Portfolio Committees to perform their tasks, this area of work has sadly been neglected. We hope that the newly constituted National Council will prioritize the functioning of these important Committees of the Party. 

2.3.8 PROVINCIAL, DISTRICT AND CONSTITUENCY OFFICES

Despite the problem of limited resources, the Party operates Provincial Offices in the following Provinces; Gauteng, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Free State. The Gauteng Province has four District Offices namely; the City of Johannesburg District Office, the East Rand (Ekurhuleni) District Office, the Tshwane/Pretoria District Office and the Vaal District Office.

 In the Western Cape the Provincial Office is located in Cape Town, and in the Eastern Cape offices are in King Williams Town and Mount Frere. In the Northern Cape the Provincial Office is located in Kimberley and in the Free State the Office is located in Qwaqwa.

 In the Province of KwaZulu Natal at the Durban Metro District we have a District Office in Durban and a Constituency Office in Pinetown. In the Zululand District we do not have a District Office but instead operate Constituency Offices in Vryheid, Nongoma, Ophongolo, Dumbe and Ulundi. In the Uthungulu District we also do not have a District office but Constituency offices in Empangeni, Eshowe and Nkandla. In the Umkhanyakude District we do not operate a District office but Constituency offices at KwaNgwanase, Mtubatuba and Umkhuze. At Amajuba District we have a District Office located in Newcastle and a Constituency office in Utrecht. 

In Uthukela District we also do not have a District office but operate Constituency offices in Bergville, Ladysmith and Estcourt. In Umzinyathi District we also don’t have a dedicated District office but Constituency offices at Dundee, Msinga and Nquthu. In Ugu District we have a District office located in Port Shepstone. In Umgungundlovu District we have a District office in Pietermaritzburg. In Sisonke District we have no District office but arrangements are afoot for the opening of a Constituency office in a suitable location. Ilembe District also does not have a dedicated District office but Constituency offices at Verulam and KwaDukuza.

3.0 POLITICAL MATTERS

I now come to report on the following political matters, which I think should be tabled for the attention and scrutiny of the Conference. These are by no means the only matters of a political nature with which the leadership of the Party was seized, but are merely the highlights which in our opinion warrant the attention of the Conference:

3.1 Implementation of Resolutions of Previous Conferences

Let me begin by reminding honourable delegates that our last Annual General Conference was held here from the 2nd to the 4th September 2005. That was a very important Conference in that we were celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the founding of our Movement and Party.  In the year under review we also had a Special General Conference and both these Conferences passed resolutions on which I will now report.

RESOLUTIONS OF THE 30th ANNUAL GENERAL CONFERENCE 

Resolution on Floor-crossing

That Conference took a resolution condemning the floor-crossing legislation as undemocratic and immoral. It then called upon the Government to repeal it. We have continued to oppose this pernicious legislation on every available platform but I will later on be reporting on concrete steps that we have taken to give effect to the sentiments and directives of the Conference. 

Resolution on IFP Performance in Local Government

The Conference adopted a number of resolutions, which were mainly directed at Party structures at Branch, Constituency and District levels pertaining to the selection of candidates for the March 1, 2006 Local Government Elections. The Election Committee developed a policy paper to guide structures about the selection process but I must point out that in some instances the provisions of that policy paper were disregarded especially in ensuring that there was gender balance and youth representation.

The Conference called on the national leadership of the Party to ensure that candidates committed themselves publicly to clean government and we did that by ensuring that all candidates publicly profess and sign a pledge at our launch rally in Umlazi. 

Resolution on Getting Ready for Elections

In this Resolution the Conference exhorted us to ensure that branches were established in all municipal wards especially in KwaZulu Natal. This was an uphill battle as even now this is not the case. I will talk more about this later on.

The same resolution also called on every structure and local leader of the Party to ensure that Party Agents were recruited and trained early enough in readiness for the Local Government Elections. Once again in many areas we were caught flat-footed and many polling stations did not have well-trained and alert IFP Party Agents. We must do something concrete about this because it is all too easy for our members to phone the leadership crying foul about the electoral process when they did not heed the numerous exhortations of our President to recruit, train and deploy suitable Party Agents who are a critical factor in guarding against electoral fraud. 

Resolution on Tackling Stubborn Challenges of Job Losses and Unemployment

The Conference called upon Party leaders to turn the heat on government and ANC Alliance partners such as COSATU and the SACP to allow for a speedy reform of the South African economy through measures such as privatization, green revolution, deregulation and a focused industrialization plan.

 In the State of the Nation debate after the opening of Parliament early this year, our President did raise these issues and not only there, but on numerous other platforms as well. 

Resolution on the need for World-class education

The Conference had called upon its Members of Parliament and Legislatures to take up the issue of a collapsing educational system vigorously. I can only say that I am aware that our spokespersons in education both in KwaZulu Natal and in Parliament in Cape Town have severely criticized government for its failures in the field of education and drew its attention to the chronic shortage of classrooms. However, there is room for our Education Portfolio Committee and spokespersons to develop a better-focused campaign.

 Resolution on HIV/AIDS

The Conference once again called upon its Members of Parliament to use every available opportunity to persuade government to change its disastrous approach to handling the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Our spokesperson on Health did on numerous occasions urge the government to change. Of course, there has been no better and courageous campaigner against the disastrous government policy on HIV/AIDS than our President. He has not only taken the battle against HIV/AIDS to the door of the government but has taken this to the very heart of affected communities.

RESOLUTIONS OF THE SPECIAL GENERAL CONFERENCE 

 The Party also held a Special General Conference on April 8, 2006 at Emlazi, Durban. This was shortly after the Local Government Elections, which were held on the 1st March 2006. This Conference, apart from unanimously renewing the mandate of our President also passed a number of resolutions.

Resolution on the performance of the Party during municipal elections

The Conference chided those leaders and members who did not do their utmost to ensure victory for the Party and decided to remind them that every member and leader of the Party was an organizer for the Party at all times.

Resolution on widespread fraud and irregularities during elections

The Conference condemned the widespread fraud and irregularities, which took place during the municipal elections and called for the complete overhaul of the IEC, which it saw as biased towards the government of the day. Members would remember that the IFP held a protest march in Durban a day before the Special Conference and presented a Memorandum detailing these electoral irregularities to the Head of the IEC in KwaZulu Natal to pass it on to the Head Office of the IEC in Pretoria. Sadly, we have not yet received any comprehensive response to our Memorandum.

Resolution on the role of the IFP as the conscience of government

The Conference asserted the IFP’s role as the vanguard of South Africa’s democracy and committed the Party to continuing the struggle for economic liberation, poverty eradication and moral renewal. These are indeed very serious and noble ideals. The challenge that we face is to come up with practical and concrete initiatives to bring about these sentiments of the Special Conference. Perhaps we need to revamp our community development initiatives that I alluded to earlier on in order to be in a position to do something concrete towards the eradication of poverty.   

3.2 Elections and by-elections

The business of any political Party is to contest and win elections so that it can participate in the governance of the country. We in the IFP are no exception to this. We have just come away from a bruising local government election whose results were far from our expectations and desire. The issue that I would like to bring before Conference is that of giving ourselves enough time and to take every necessary step to prepare for effective participation in elections. One thing we have always failed to do effectively is to encourage people to register to vote and to ensure that those that have registered actually come out on voting day to vote for us.  

We have also not succeeded to mount an effective strategy of recruiting and training alert and effective Party Agents to guard against electoral fraud. We always start late in our recruitment campaigns for Party Agents and some insist on recruiting their relatives and friends without taking care whether they are suitable for this crucial job. 

The other matter is that of our attitude to by-elections. Many of our members and structures fail to realize that by-elections are as good as normal elections themselves. These are usually not regarded with the seriousness they deserve and the results are disastrous for the Party. This Conference has to come up with effective measures to change this unacceptable behaviour on the part of most of our local leaders and members.    

3.3 Relations with other Political Organizations

I am sure that delegates would like to be informed on the state of prevailing relations between the Party and other Political Parties. I will report on the most important players. 

3.3.1 The African National Congress

Members will remember that in 1998 the IFP and the ANC decided to establish a Committee of Three-A-Side as a mechanism to facilitate communication and problem solving between these two organizations. The Three-A-Side Committee was later expanded to the Five-A-Side in an attempt to enhance its capacity. This Committee was active until shortly before the elections in 2004 and has never met since then and we have come to accept that it has ceased to exist. The Five-A-Side Committee was charged with handling matters that affected relations between the ANC and the IFP mainly at national level even though the deteriorating state of the relationship between these two organizations in KwaZulu Natal impacted on its work and preoccupied it.

The Three-A-Side / Five-A-Side had established similar Committees to promote the resolution of problems and reconciliation between these two organizations. It set up Ten-A-Side Committees in KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng and was poised to set up similar structures in Mpumalanga Province and the Free State by the time it folded up. These Ten-a-Side Committees have themselves ceased to exist. 

From 1994 the two organizations had participated in the Government of National Unity at the national level and in the Government of Provincial Unity in KwaZulu Natal. These lasted until the elections in 1999. After the elections the ANC invited the IFP to stay on in the National Government and the IFP did the same with the ANC in KwaZulu Natal. This lasted until the elections in 2004. By the time the elections were held, relations had deteriorated further. After the elections the ANC did not invite the IFP to stay on in government in terms of the understanding that had been reached in 1998 on the need for the two organizations to cooperate in order to de-escalate the conflict and to promote reconciliation. 

The ANC came to power in KwaZulu Natal in 2004 and formed a multiparty government to which the IFP was invited to participate at the pleasure of the ANC and no longer on the basis of any prior agreement. The IFP was given three ministerial portfolios of Social Welfare and Population Development; Arts, Culture and Tourism; and Public Works. In the Legislature it was also given the positions of Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Chair of Committees. When Inkosi MW Hlengwa tragically passed away the ANC retained this position for itself and when MEC Singh resigned his position the ANC again retained this for itself and the Deputy Chair of Committees was given to Prof. SJ Maphalala even though he was no longer a member of the IFP. 

Bi-lateral discussions continued to be held between the two organizations from immediately after the 2004 elections through a newly established joint committee called the ANC/IFP Four-A-Side. The ANC was represented by Dr ZL Mkhize, Mr S. Mchunu, Mr M. Mabuyakhulu and Mr S. Gcabashe. The IFP side was represented by the Rev. KM Zondi, the Rev. CJ Mtetwa, Mr MZ Khumalo and the Hon. Mr MB Gwala.  

These discussions were not focused and consistent but would be initiated as and when there was a pressing problem to be resolved either in the KwaZulu Natal Cabinet, in the Legislature or when the ANC felt that the role of our President as Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders in KwaZulu Natal had become too problematic for them. 

An attempt was made to discuss the broad issues that affected the relationship between the ANC and the IFP in the Province of KwaZulu Natal but this too was inconclusive. In these discussions the IFP had proposed that the ANC had to come to terms with the fact that our President in all his various capacities was a reality they could not wish away or deny. We put this on the table because we could see that any discussions of improving relations between the ANC and the IFP which shied away from grappling with the manner in which the ANC has over the years treated our President would be an act of self-delusion and an exercise in futility. 

Prior to this the ANC had wanted the IFP to state how it regarded the nature of the relationship that existed between the two organizations. Again the IFP side pointed out that there was no relationship to write home about since it was the ANC through the late Mr Dumisane Makhaye which redefined the relationship after the 2004 elections that the government which, the ANC sought to establish would no longer be a coalition government based on any prior mutual agreement between the ANC and the IFP but would solely be an ANC government to which other parties were invited to participate at the pleasure of the ANC. We pointed out that this to us conveyed a message that the ANC was no longer interested in any mutually beneficial relationship with the IFP. 

The last meeting was held when the ANC wanted to inform the IFP that it had decided to retain for itself the position, which had been occupied by MEC Narend Singh under the pretext that it needed to fulfil the imperatives of the gender balance in the Provincial Cabinet without even asking the IFP to nominate a female candidate.   

3.3.2 The Democratic Alliance

Our relationship with the Democratic Alliance was not opportunistic as many uninformed commentators in the media were wont to say. Way back in the 70’s the predecessor to the DA namely, the Progressive Federal Party frequently held talks with the then Inkatha National Liberation Movement on a range of topics regarding the future of South Africa and particularly on how apartheid had to be done away with. 

Because the two organizations came from different political traditions namely, the PFP embraced the classical liberal tradition whereas Inkatha embraced the same values, which were propounded by the founding fathers of the African National Congress such as African Nationalism, it was necessary at one stage that the two meet to look at the kind of a future South Africa that was envisioned. Inkatha’s Statement of Belief was one document, which was the basis for such discussions. 

Whereas the liberal political tradition emphasized individual rights Inkatha’s Statement of Belief emphasized that the individual could not enjoy such political rights in total neglect of the interests of the community, since the imperatives of the philosophy of Ubuntu/Botho to which Inkatha subscribed, held that an individual was unavoidably a product of a specific cultural milieu. Inkatha insisted that any future broader South Africanism had to embrace the best tenets of both traditions if lasting peace was to be achieved in a future South Africa.

In 1983 when the National Party wanted to introduce the Tri-Cameral System of government of Whites. Indians and Coloureds; Inkatha collaborated with the PFP in campaigning for a NO VOTE in the referendum which was held. Our President traversed the length and breadth of this country appearing on a common platform with the leaders of the PFP calling upon South Africans to reject the Tri-Cameral System. 

When the Democratic Alliance approached the IFP for cooperation on the basis of common values and ideals in campaigning against those aspects of government policy, which were obnoxious to both Parties, it was on the basis of this historical background. The cooperation in the run-up to the 2004 elections led to the establishment by the DA and the IFP of a Coalition Agreement formally known as the Coalition for Change. Both Parties wanted to change the manner in which the ANC was running South Africa.

The DA in its Congress of KwaZulu Natal later on in 2004 decided to call for an end to such formal cooperation between the IFP and the DA, and thus the Coalition for Change came to an end.  

Just as we do not have any formal agreement with the ANC but are cooperating with it in the governance of KwaZulu Natal, both the IFP and the DA are once again cooperating together with other political parties to campaign for the scrapping of the Floor-Crossing legislation.      

 3.3.3 Other Opposition Parties

This brings me to the nature of relationship that exists between the IFP and the other opposition parties and other organizations. 

There are no formal agreements governing the relationship with the rest of the other opposition political parties in South Africa but we cooperate on the basis of common interests on individual issues. Prior to the 2004 election we signed an agreement on the issue of our rejection of the manner in which Affirmative Action was being implemented against the background of the Employment Equity Act with the Freedom Front Plus as well as with the Solidarity Trade Union. 

In spite of the fact that the establishment of the National Democratic Convention (NADECO) was at the expense of the IFP and therefore naturally entailed a lot of pain and resentment, the march of unforeseen political events have now brought about a situation where Dr ZB Jiyane, the founder-leader of NADECO approached our President and offered to cooperate with the IFP in a number of municipalities in KwaZulu Natal. This cooperation has seen the return to power of the IFP in certain municipalities such as Amajuba District Municipality and the prospects of this happening in others as well. The nature of these political developments teaches us that while it is important to be principled in politics, at the same time you cannot afford to be too rigid.   

3.4 Publicity and the battle for equal access to the SABC

We have continued to suffer denial of equal access to the National Broadcaster, which is funded with taxpayers’ money, the SABC. The bias of the SABC in favour of the ruling Party led the National Executive Committee dispatching a delegation led by the Secretary-General to meet with the executives of the SABC in Auckland Park to discuss this problem. Despite assurances that steps would be taken to correct the situation, we have not seen much improvements. We shall continue to bring pressure to bear on the leadership of the SABC until we have a fair share of access to the airwaves.

 3.5 Parliamentary Caucuses

I will not say much on the Parliamentary Caucuses except to say that the IFP is represented in the National Parliament in Cape Town where we are the third largest political party, in KwaZulu Natal where we are the second largest political Party as well as in the Gauteng Legislature. The Leaders of our Parliamentary Caucuses will be presenting detailed reports tomorrow morning.  

3.6 Political Training and Workshops

Members of the IFP have benefited from training and workshops organized by a range of non-government organisations such as the Democracy Development Program (DDP) and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. We need more of these opportunities and we shall continue to explore possibilities of securing more help from as wide a range of these organizations as possible in order to equip our members with the necessary skills to render them effective wherever the Party has deployed them.

There is a demand across the board by our members to be work-shopped in the fundamentals of our Party’s policies and principles just as we used to do in the 70’s and the 80’s. This demand is more pronounced among the youth so that they can get a thorough grounding in the basic policy outlook of the Party. The only prohibiting factor is the issue of resources.  

3.7 Strategic Review and Planning Workshop

The National Council held a successful Strategic Review and Planning Workshop in Durban on the 23rd to the 24th June 2006. This was a comprehensive exercise, which necessitated that we look at the wide range of issues and challenges facing the Party including a review of the Party’s performance in past elections. It is hoped that lessons we gleaned from this exercise are going to be beneficial to the future endeavours of the Party especially as it prepares for the battle, which lies ahead, that of the 2009 general elections.

 3.8 Foreign Travel by the Party’s National Office Bearers

We did not get the opportunity at last year’s Conference to report on some of the important travels by the Party’s national Leadership owing to the fact that last year’s Conference was focusing on celebrating the Party’s 30 years of existence. We think it is important that we do so now in order to keep our membership informed. 

3.8.1 Conference on Federalism in Belgium

Our President was invited by the Belgian Government to participate in the International Conference on Federalism which was held in Brussels in March last year.

While on this trip our President also travelled to the UK where he made important addresses on the situation in South Africa at Oxford University and at Chatham House in London. While in the UK he met with several ministers in the Foreign Office of the UK government and briefed them on how he and the IFP saw the situation in South Africa as well as in the sub-continent of Southern Africa and the continent of Africa in general. 

3.8.2 The Konrad Adenauer Foundation Conference of Southern African Opposition Leaders in Berlin

Again in June last year our President had to travel to Berlin in the Federal Republic of Germany where he attended a Conference of Southern African Opposition Leaders under the aegis of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. 

While in Berlin he got the opportunity to meet with the Head of the Konrad Adenuer Foundation and other important officials of the Foundation. He also got the opportunity of meeting with several German government ministers.

Other opposition leaders from Southern Africa came from countries such as Namibia, Mozambique, Malawi and Zibwabwe. 

3.8.3 Baroness Thatcher’s 80th Birthday Celebrations

In October 2005 our President had to travel to the UK to attend the 80th birthday celebrations of the former Prime Minister of Britain, Baroness Thatcher. This occasion also marked her formal retirement from public life. 

It was important for our President to attend this function as Baroness Thatcher was one of the important world leaders who worked with our leader in the 80’s towards the peaceful resolution of South Africa’s problems. 

Our President had a private one-on-one meeting with Baroness Thatcher a day after the birthday function. He also met with officials of the Thatcher Foundation.

3.8.4 Edinburgh Conference on Tibet

In November 2005, our President had to once again travel to Edinburgh in Scotland to attend an important international Conference on Tibet. On this occasion, which was attended by a range of important international figures, our President spoke in support of the peaceful resolution of the Tibetan problem and got the opportunity to meet and hold discussions with His Eminence, the Dalai Lama. 

3.8.5 Windhoek Dialogue 10th Anniversary Conference

Mr EJ Lucas and the Secretary-General were invited by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation to participate in the 10th Anniversary Conference of the founding of the Windhoek Dialogue. This took place in Windhoek, the capital city of the Republic of Namibia in April this year.

The Windhoek Dialogue is an annual discussion between the European Peoples’ Party (EPP) Group of European Parliamentarians and like-minded African Political leaders in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

The IFP has been a participant since the inception of the Windhoek Dialogue in April 1996. Through the Windhoek Dialogue, several like-minded African Political Parties established their African equivalent of the EPP which is called, the Union of African Political Parties for Democracy and Development (UPPADD). The IFP is the founder member of this grouping of like-minded African Political Parties. 

3.8.6 Brussels Workshop on Representation of Political Interests in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Secretary-General was invited by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation to participate in the international Workshop organized by the European Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Brussels on the 21st and 22nd of September 2006. 

This Workshop was attended by many leaders of political parties from Sub-Saharan Africa as well as a number of NGO’s, academics and European Parliamentarians.  

4.0 INTERNAL ORGANISATIONAL CHALLENGES 

4.1 Membership Recruitment and Renewal Campaigns

Membership recruitment and renewal campaigns continued during the year under review. It is important to remind delegates that our Constitution stipulates that membership of the Party expires on the 31st December each year. It is therefore imperative that members renew their membership at the beginning of every year in order to be in a position to exercise the rights derived from membership for the whole year as opposed to just a few months before the end of the year. 

Delayed renewal of membership actually holds up Party programmes and the renewal of branches, which is done annually. Delay in the renewal of branches also holds up important annual activities such as the holding of our three annual general conferences which must normally be preceded by conferences of lower structures of the Party.    

4.2 Setting-up Party Structures

The branch is the basic unit of the Party and as such it is an entry point for all new recruits into the Party. Therefore, the strength of the Party is among other things measured by the level of political activity that takes place at branch level. The primacy of the branch is of such critical importance that there can in fact be no Constituency, District or Provincial structures without viable branches. 

In the year under review the campaigns to set up viable structures of the Party was prioritized throughout the country, albeit in varying degrees depending on prevailing local conditions. It must be borne in mind that there are still areas where the level of political intolerance and lack of free political activity render it difficult for our members to set up viable branches.

 4.3 Erosion of Party Discipline

Discipline and the spirit of comradeship are important ingredients to maintaining unity, which alone can produce a strong and united IFP family. Absolute unity of purpose and discipline are required if the IFP is to realize its political objectives. 

It is with great disappointment that one has to observe that lately discipline has taken a back seat among the rank and file of our members in various structures and organs of the Party. Too much political infighting and jockeying for positions is taking place at an alarming rate in some areas leading to open divisions, rebellion and defiance of authority. The deadly cancer of careerism and an unhealthy clamour for positions at all costs has set in. This cannot be tolerated as it poses to eventually destroy the foundations of respect, dedicated service, discipline and humility on which our Party is built.  

4.4 Renewal and Regeneration of the Party

 The campaign for the renewal and regeneration of the Party has continued since our President launched it in 2003. This has necessitated the complete overhaul of some major Party structures and organs in order to gear them for challenges that lie ahead. Even the Constitution of our Party has incrementally been amended to give effect to the necessary changes that have had to be brought about. This campaign has not spared even the highest decision making body of the Party, the National Council, which had to be restructured, overhauled and right-sized. The renewal and regeneration campaign will not end there but will continue to filter down to other lower structures of the Party as well until we produce a party machine suitable to tackle the challenges that history has thrown at the IFP.

5.0 CHALLENGES OF COUNTRY-WIDE PARTY DEVELOPMENT WORK 

5.1 KwaZulu Natal

Our constitution envisages the organization of the Party to exist as entities within Provinces. Provincial structures can only be established once branches, constituencies and districts are in place. KwaZulu Natal now has a fully-functional Provincial Executive Committee and Provincial Council in place. 

5.2 Gauteng

Gauteng Province is the second biggest province in terms of IFP support. Commendable strides have been made to grow the Party in this Province. We have been able to establish District in Pretoria, West Rand, Ekurhuleni and the City of Johannesburg. 

Before the end of the year, we hope that a fully fledged Provincial structure will be elected to manage the political affairs of the Party in the Province. 

However there remains a challenge for the Party to expand its support base in the local townships. It is important that the Party should penetrate the townships so that it becomes an integral part of the township life. 

Secondly, the up and coming leadership, especially from the townships, needs to be nurtured for future roles in their own areas.

 One of the primary responsibilities of the deployed teams in various areas is to do just this, namely the identification, nurturing and promotion of local leadership which the people can identify with. 

5.3 Mpumalanga

Mpumalanga Province is the third biggest for the IFP.  

In the 2000 Local Government Elections, the IFP won twelve seats in Mpumalanga Province.  IFP structures are fully developed in three of the five districts.  A deployed team of the National Council is doing some hard but sterling work in reaching out to other communities in the Province. 

The size and the demographic make-up of the Province pose a major challenge in terms of Party mobilization.  The lack of resources remains a major obstacle in our Party mobilization work in the Province.  Nevertheless we do have an office in Bethal. 

5.4 Limpopo

Although the Party managed to have two Councillors after the 2000 Local Government Elections, it has always been a challenge to establish viable branches in this area.   

There is support for the Party in areas like Lebow-Kgomo and Tzaneen.  There is an also an IFP Member of Parliament in Cape Town who comes from this area.  Some of our youth volunteers have begun pioneering organizational work in the Phalaborwa area. 

5.5 North West

The IFP won two seats in the Merafong Municipality in the North West Province during the last Local Government Elections held in March 2006.  These Councillors come from the Khutsong area which was involved in protracted protest marches and demonstrations against incorporation into the North West Province. 

5.6 Northern Cape

This Province has a vast surface area but is sparsely and thinly populated.  This presents huge organizational challenges in this Province. 

In the 2000 Local Government Elections, the IFP won two seats in the Kimberley Municipality.  A local Party Organizer has been appointed to recruit more members and co-ordinate the support base that was established during the 2000 Local Government Elections.  This Organizer operates from our Provincial Office situated in Kimberley.

 5.7 Free State

The Free State is one of the provinces that the IFP has not fully exploited to its fullest potential. However, a strong presence has been established in Qwaqwa and the IFP has a fully operational office in Phuthaditjhaba.  This office serves IFP members from the southern part of the Free State. 

It is important to note that the IFP was able to retain its seat in the Maluti-a-Phufong Municipality. 

The Goldfields in the central and northern part of the Free State remain without adequate servicing.  This is an area which is populated by miners coming from all parts of South Africa.  There is an IFP branch in Welkom consisting mainly of youth, however lack of resources makes it difficult to make any further exploits in that politically fertile area. 

The deployed team of the National Council members in that area is very thin on the ground considering the size of the Province.  Language is also an inhibiting factor for anyone who would like to do Party work in this Province if he/she is not seSotho speaking. 

5.8 Eastern Cape

In the Eastern Cape the Party has developed structures in the former Transkei part of the Province.  A presence has also been established in Port Elizabeth and King William’s Town areas. The IFP has offices in these areas. 

5.9 Western Cape

Some fresh initiatives have been launched to maximize the presence of the IFP in this Province.  A deployed team has already started with some ground work to put in place some necessary infrastructure to ensure the success of the initiatives. 

There is an office in Barrack Street, Cape Town which will provide the necessary co-ordination of the Party’s activities in the Province.

6.0 OTHER POLITICAL CHALLENGES     

It is important for us to realize that the Party faces a number of other important challenges some of which are discussed here below: 

6.1 Preparations for the 2009 General Elections

As we pointed out above, our main business is to overcome whatever problem we might have and focus on thorough preparations for the major battle that lies ahead, which is the 2009 General Elections. We cannot do this by mere wishful thinking, but it will take putting our shoulders to the wheel and dedicate ourselves with a singular motive to rising to the occasion of history. We need to overcome whatever petty divisions we might have and close our ranks in readiness for a mammoth task that lies ahead. We need to submerge our individual ambitions and prioritize our common ideals.  

6.2 Timely Establishment of Election Committees

The Strategic Review and Planning Workshop exhorted us to waste no time but to start establishing structures for the next elections as early as this year or the beginning of 2007. In that regard we need to consider establishing the National Election Committee without delay so that it can begin to lay down the necessary foundations in preparation for the forth-coming elections.  

6.3 Early Recruitment and Training of Party Agents

We need to waste no time but to start now recruiting and training as many Party Agents as possible. This should be the business of every Party Structure as its contribution to the ongoing task of ever-preparedness to effectively contest the forth-coming general elections. Once we have recruited people who are willing to serve as Party Agents, we should get in touch with Mr AM Mpontshane so that he can arrange for the training of those people in good time. We must select capable people who will work hard voluntarily to ensure that electoral fraud does not take place. This is very serious work, which should not be relegated to people who are incapable of executing it. 

6.4 Early Registration of Voters

We can not hope to win any election if we do not start early to mount campaigns so that people can acquire identity documents in order to be registered as voters. It should be the task of every member to see to it that he or she encourages someone to register as a voter. It should be the central focus of our structures that in all our meetings we put these matters on the agenda so that we remain seized with them from now on.   

6.5 Revival of the Spirit of Voluntarism

All that which I am talking about here cannot be done unless we go back to basics and revive the spirit of voluntarism underpinned by unwavering values of patriotism. We should learn to volunteer to work for the Party expecting nothing in return. The revival of the spirit of voluntarism means that we should not expect to be paid for the work that we do for the Party. If our forebears who founded this Party had not given their all to the growth and welfare of the Party, there would today be no IFP to talk about. If our President had not built this great organization on the twin-pillar philosophy of self-help and self-reliance, there would today be no IFP to talk about. We must flush out from our midst free-riders and self-serving opportunists and position-mongers, who are not prepared to work for nothing in return except to see their Party succeed and prosper.

7.0 OTHER POLITICAL MATTERS

Before I conclude my report let me briefly touch on a few current initiatives which your national leadership has embarked upon on various political platforms. 

7.1 Efforts to fight for the Scrapping of Floor-crossing Legislation

As I pointed out above, the IFP is working in cooperation with other political parties to campaign for the scrapping of the floor-crossing legislation. Members would remember that when this immoral piece of legislation was enacted the DA had been in favour of it. The major development is that it has now turned around and is now part of the campaign to scrap it. A survey that was done indicated that more than 62% of the electorate were strongly opposed to floor-crossing. 

On the other hand the ANC which initially had not been in favour of floor-crossing, when the political situation suited them used their numbers to push through this legislation. Now we believe the situation has changed. We are also engaging them in a delicate process with a view to persuading them that this sort of legislation should be repealed.  

At the same time we have asked our Chief Whip in Parliament to pilot a Private Member’s Bill for the repeal of the Floor-crossing legislation. We hope that sooner or later all these efforts will one day bear positive results. 

7.2 The Failure of the Criminal Justice System and the Assassination of Political Leaders

One disturbing feature of our political life in South Africa has been the failure of the Criminal Justice System to protect South Africa’s innocent citizens. Our Party has borne the brunt of seeing a number of its leaders being systematically assassinated and the worst thing is that the perpetrators of these crimes have not been brought to book. There is no other political Party in South Africa, which has had as many of their leaders violently attacked and killed as the IFP. Even well known suspects are not dealt with they are left to roam around freely. Our President even took an extra-ordinary step of naming some of these suspects in Parliament in order that something would be done against them.  

7.3 Application for Presidential Pardon for our Political Prisoners

Our Chief Whip has some years ago submitted applications for a Presidential pardon for those of our members who were drawn to commit acts of violence during the political Black-on-Black conflicts of the 80’s and the 90’s. The Department of Justice through which these applications have been forwarded has done very little to pay attention to this matter. We shall continue to persuade them to do something about these cases so that we can secure the release from prison of our Comrades who were unwillingly drawn into the internecine strife of the past.   

7.4 Efforts to Separate Head of State from Head of Government

The current political strife besetting the ANC has prompted our President to once again call for the separation of the Head of State from the Head of government. He did this in a memorable statesman-like speech during the debate in Parliament on the Presidency. The thinking is that this should perhaps be followed up with a Private Member’s Bill to amend the Constitution to give effect to this.   

7.5 The Civil Unions Bill and the issue of Same-Sex Marriages

One of the vexing problems that Parliament is currently dealing with is the issue of same–sex marriages. Some gay people took the current marriage act to the Constitutional Court and asked it to rule whether the Act was not discriminating against gay people. The Constitutional Court ruled that indeed the current Marriage Act did discriminate against gay couples, which wanted the same protection that the Marriage Act gives to hetero-sexual couples. The Court then gave Parliament until the 1st of December this year to bring the Marriage Act in line with the Constitution. The obvious question is what should your representative do, how should they handle this delicate matter?

 8.0 CONCLUSION