Address by
Mangosuthu Buthelezi, MP
PRESIDENT OF THE INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY

I thank the Chairperson of the Constituency and his Executive Committee for inviting me to Nongoma. They have done me a great favour for it is always a great source of inspiration for me to be in Nongoma. Nongoma will always have a special place in my heart for I learnt many lessons that have been so valuable in my own life when I grew up at KwaDlamahlahla Palace in this district. I first had the fortune of being close to some of the great founding fathers of our liberation when I lived at the Palace, in this district. It was at the Palace that I first set my eyes on the Founding Father of the African national Congress. I am of course referring to none other than my own uncle, Dr Pixley ka Isaka Seme. As older people amongst you know, he was married to my Aunt, King Dinuzulu's eldest child, Princess Phikisile Harriet ka Dinuzulu. At the time when he lived at his Ekuqhamkeni Residence at Mahashini. I often visited him and the princess. As a young first year matric student he dictated to me letters which I wrote in long hand on his behalf. And I remember that when I was rusticated from the University of Fort Hare in 1950, Dr Seme was the first person to write a letter of intervention on my behalf. He wrote such a letter to Professor Zachariah Keodireleng Mathews, who was not only my Professor, but who was the Vice-Principal of the University of Fort Hare. He was also a prominent African leader at the time.

It was as a youngster that I used to see Amakhosi of this Kingdom assembled at the various Imbizos, which my uncle, Prince Arthur Edward Mshiyeni ka Dinuzulu who was Regent, called from time to time during the interregnum. It was in this district that I attended school with my cousin, who later became our king, King Cyprian Bhekuzulu Nyangayezizwe ka Solomon. I also attended School with my uncle Prince Phumanyova ka Bhokwe who was later installed as Inkosi of the Mandlakazi clan. It was during this time in my life at the Palace that I often saw leaders such as the Revd Dr John Langalibalele Dube, Mr WW Ndlovu, Mr LP Msomi, Mr AWG Champion, Mr JK Ngubane and many others too numerous to list in this address. I mention this short historical background of my youth in this district so as to enable younger people in particular, who may not appreciate why being in Nongoma is always so special for me. My being here naturally brings to mind all these great experiences which whetted my appetite for politics at a very young age. It is also very special to be here for we have many martyrs of our liberation struggle, amongst whom we remember the name of the Mayor of Nongoma, Mr Joseph Sikhonde after whom this stadium was named and many others. It is only right and proper to remember them on occasions such as this one, for there is a well-known saying that the tree of liberty is watered by the blood of martyrs. We owe quite a lot to them. We are where we are because of them. We dare not abandon the struggle from where they left off. We need from time to time to drink from the springs of inspiration which have produced for us the heroes who sacrificed so much for our struggle, and even sacrificed their own lives.

So I am thrilled to be here today amongst friends and stalwarts as you can see. For me, to come to Nongoma is to come home. The community of Nongoma has always provided the lion's roar of the IFP. Whenever I have visited you, I have always felt spurred on to fight the good fight. And fight I will. I will fight, and fight again, for the Party I love, because only the IFP offers the answers to South Africa's crisis of leadership. To be in Nongoma always becomes a source of inspiration for I grew up in this district. I have never been one to mince my words. I am not going to start now. I know that the burning question on the minds of most of you here today is the leadership of the IFP. I understand that. I also know that you know who Mangosuthu Buthelezi is. We have walked together for thirty years now. We fought together in the trenches in the long twilight struggle against apartheid. We have fought together in the democratic order to free our people from poverty, hunger, disease and despair. What is more, the people of Nongoma know me for more than 30 years when we founded Inkatha. My credentials and record are open for all to see. I do not need to beat my chest. Love or loathe me, there is no one who can say that they do not know what I stand for. In the last week or two we have seen a flurry of activity from the Chairperson of the IFP. Interviews here, there and everywhere! He has been up at the crack of dawn taking to the airwaves. If only we had seen a modicum of this boundless energy over the last year being put to good use to build our Party! There are those who are waiting with bated breath for the explosion of our Party, and even its burial. They will soon realise that what we see is no more than just a storm in a tea-cup. But be in no doubt. This is not merely a bid for the leadership by the National Chairperson. We are witnessing a battle for the heart and soul of the IFP. The stakes are high. For the battle for the heart and soul of the IFP is the battle for the heart and soul of democracy in South Africa.

On the one side, there are those who want to deliver the IFP to the ANC. They are the faint-hearts who say that we should abandon our opposition role and join the so-called national democratic revolution - whatever that means! You have seen it before. You will recall how the New National Party was digested into the soft underbelly of the ruling party. On the other side - the vast majority - are those who know that only the IFP can provide the muscular and vibrant alternative to the stale ruling-party. We are a target precisely because of these facts of the matter. And let us be frank. Today the ANC does not look like the political force that won almost 70 percent of the vote a year ago. If anything, the recent developments within the ruling party offer a recipe for political instability. Looking at what the President, his former deputy, and their respective supporters are saying and how they are contradicting each other, the traditional ANC voters can have no clear idea what their party really stands for. It is time for them to look elsewhere. Clearly, the centre of the ANC is no longer holding. The ruling party can no longer restrain its tripartite alliance partner, COSATU. The biggest wave of strikes in a decade has hit our streets. Union demands for higher wages have grounded our national carrier, causing enormous damage to our country's hard- earned international prestige. Millions of Rands have been lost while we hear announcements left, right and centre, about the imminent closing Down of mines, which employ tens of thousands of our people. This is happening when more than 1 million jobs have been lost since 1994

We see this same ideological disjuncture in the ruling party's approach to Zimbabwe. It seems our government is about to extend a credit loan to Zimbabwe, the world's fastest shrinking economy. The IFP does not wish to make political capital out of this appalling humanitarian tragedy and our sympathy is naturally with the long-suffering people of Zimbabwe. We think particularly of the 400, 000 civilians who have been forcibly removed from their homes since March. We know that our people in Zimbabwe need a life-line. But our own people here at home need that very life-line. After all charity begins at home. Yet the IFP demands that if this credit agreement is granted, it must be linked to the conditions of the NEPAD Peer Review Mechanism, namely, democracy, transparency, good governance and the upholding of human rights. This should be spelled out in no uncertain terms to the Harare government. We must not sign a blank-cheque!

And whilst we lament what is happening abroad, at home our criminal justice system continues to disintegrate. Criminals continue to kill, maim and destroy with impunity. Lawlessness is rife. As we approach the local government elections, which will be the most closely and fiercely contested yet, we implore government to redouble its efforts to stamp out political violence.

Alas, over the last year we have seen the same pattern which first appeared when the Mayor of Nongoma, Joseph Sikhonde was assassinated with the names of prominent people, including MECs and Members of the Legislature being mentioned. Nongoma has had its share of these political assassinations even more recently.

Earlier in the year, the Mayor of Imbabazane Municipality near Estcourt, Mr Sipho Bengu, was assassinated. At the same time we buried one of our IFP youth leaders in the Osuthu area, Mr Sithende Mbatha. Recently there was an attempted murder of the children of Prince Cuthbert Mtshali who was a son of Princess Bantwana ka Dinuzulu of Mahashini Royal Residence. Princess Bantwana was a younger sister of Prince Magangezintaba ka Dinuzulu, the father of Prince Reginald. Not even those in whose veins flows the blood of our Kings are safe from political assassinations in this district. It is interesting that the father of these children Prince Cuthbert was also assassinated and no one was indicted for that murder. I find it most interesting to know that the accused in this case is none other than the famous Nkalankala Zungu and his guards. Yet, in the National Assembly, Dr Cwele took offence when I referred to the name of Sputla Mpungose and Nkalankala Zungu who were implicated in political assassinations, Dr Cwele claimed that I was tarnishing the image of his fellow ANC leaders. And yet, that very same week, Mpungose was charged with rape and multiple murders. If that is how Dr Cwele defines leadership, God save us.

It was simply stomach churning that when I mentioned this grave matter in the National Assembly, during the Debate on the President's Budget Vote, the ANC benches burst into hilarity. I suppose they took their cue from the ANC Chief Whip who claims that he does not know anyone who has been a victim of crime in response to my intervention in the debate. Mr Goniwe, the ANC Chief Whip savaged me in the national Assembly on the 26th of may this year, for daring to mention, in my response to President Mbeki's Presidency Vote, that people in this Country are either victims of crime or live in fear of being ones. I was amazed because I have on two occasions, both in the year 2004, and also this year mentioned the breakdown of the criminal justice system here in Nongoma in particular. I mentioned some of the criminals who are somehow mollycoddled. I have been criticised for having stated my strong exception to the presence of such characters in our Royal Court, when I spoke at Enyokeni Palace on the 11th of December last year. I thought that I was doing what was my duty as the king's traditional Prime Minister, to object to seeing people whom I had enough information were involved in criminal activities frequenting the Royal Court. I think subsequent events when both these men have been indicted as suspects in crimes vindicate my stand when I raised objections to their presence at the Royal Court. As I look how this province is being governed after a year of ANC rule, I remain convinced that our continued strong presence here is vital to KwaZulu-Natal's long-term success and prosperity. Instead of real delivery, the people of the province have been offered a series of glitzy imbizos at which they get to hear how fortunate they are to have an ANC government. We have been watching efforts to steal our clothes when projects which were introduced by the IFP government such as Xoshindlala, being hijacked as projects which have been introduced by the ANC Provincial government in the last 12 months. I was fortunate to be invited by the Farmers of Maphophoma on the Farmers Day to see how successful the mealies project introduced by an IFP government has been. It has been disgraceful to try to pull wool over the people's eyes at KwaDabhazi in presenting something that the previous government under an IFP Premier, Dr Ngubane, and an IFP Minister of Agriculture Mr Narend Singh implemented as something that has suddenly been brought about by the ANC Provincial government since 2004. The ANC, as we know, thrives on ruling from the centre. They fervently believe - and would not mind trying to convince you - that one size sock fits all the feet in KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa. That is why they are ready to bring us policies that they know have failed in other provinces before. I do not despair however, I believe the difference between the IFP the ANC is the difference between what South Africa is, and what it could and should be. This is why the forthcoming local government elections, which could be held any time between September 2005 and March 2006, are so important to the future of our province. It is action that makes a material difference to an isolated, troubled or hungry community, not words.

Local government provides the essential lifeline to our people. Municipalities bring hope to the remotest shack! So the vision of whoever emerges the strongest from the Local Government Elections will prevail and decide the political future of this Province and indeed, multiparty democracy. I must therefore emphasize, once again, that I will not tolerate any corruption in our midst. I am always appalled when I hear of any instances of Fraud by Municipal Office-bearers and Municipal officials such as we see in Mangaung in Bloemfontein where the ANC Mayor, the Speaker and the Manager have been indicted for fraud. Corruption and fraud is doing untold damage to people's faith in the democratic process.

As you will have read in the newspapers, it appears that the black economic empowerment company, Imvume, was a front for the ruling party to raise election funds last year. It secretly forwarded about R11 million to the ANC before last year's election. I am appalled, as I am sure you are, that the ruling party simply says that they do not question where their funds come from.

As I said, the difference between the ANC and the IFP is the difference between what South Africa is, and what it should be. How can we present ourselves as a credible alternative to the ruling-party if there is the slightest hint of corruption within our public representatives? If any of you know of any acts of corruption amongst our public representatives, no matter how small or trivial they might seem, as your leader I urge you to blow the whistle.

Recently I came across my pay slip as Chief Minister of the former KwaZulu government; I received a salary of only R3000 in 1984. This was completely inadequate in terms of my responsibilities. I never once abused public funds. Nor did I allow anyone else to do so. I am proud to remind you that my administration was the only one, which returned public funds to the incoming democratic government in 1994. Local government is the third-tier level of government which has been set up in terms of the Constitution. It is even more important to have as your Councillors people of the ilk of the Mayor of the Zululand Municipal district and other IFP Mayors and Councillors. They know that they are there not to enrich themselves. They know that they are the servants of the people. They know that the funds that they spend are not given to them to enrich themselves. They know that they have the privilege to handle tax-payers money. Your money. The money belongs to you as tax-payers. It does not belong to the ANC or the IFP. That is why people must be careful in their choice of the kind of people that we elect as our Councillors. As you know I hate thieves who steal tax-payers money. As I have already said I have a track-record as former Chief Minister of KwaZulu for achieving all that we achieved with very limited resources. The KwaZulu government was under-funded because I rejected the balkanisation of South Africa into mini-states under the grandiose system of Apartheid. KwaZulu received less funding per capita than all other so-called independent and self-governing territories because, I was regarded as obdurate by the government of the day. Right across the Road from here KwaGqikazi College is just one of the things that we did with very limited funds at our disposal. Today we hear some of the ANC leaders and their propagandists, and they have plenty of these, saying that it is the first time that there is any development now that the ANC is running the Province. The one sad thing about people who are paid to say these things is summed up in the old saying that the man who pays the piper calls the tune. I was the only one in 1994, who handed over funds to the democratic government. All others were in the red. They pillaged the coffers of their governments just before the 1994 elections. The Mayor of the Zululand Municipal District Ms Zanele Magwaza has set up a good example for all our Mayors and Councillors. She has not abused the procurement process in this Municipal district. We have not heard of instances of corruption under her Mayorship. That is the culture of the IFP. We do not boast, we are just stating the facts of the matter. We know that some may succumb to temptation and spoil our good record. We know how weak we as humans are. But if we hear of corruption and so many instances of it at so many levels of government whether it is the Travelgate, the Oilgate or that of the ANC-run Municipalities, we can see that our Country has a serious problem of corruption.

As I look back, ten years ago, all of us in South Africa and here in KwaZulu-Natal stood at a crossroads. We all had an important choice to make. The ANC promised our people much more than I did. Back then, only they and I knew that they could not deliver. That never stopped them. Today, more and more of our people are learning that they have been deceived. The ANC promised us a radical revolution. Instead, we have seen a slow drift into corruption, red tape and elitism.

They promised us an all-inclusive society without special privilege. Instead, they have re-created the notions of us, destined for poverty, and them, earmarked by their political affiliation for social and economic empowerment.

They promised a better life for all. Instead, they delivered a better life for few, mostly themselves. South Africa's challenges have not changed much since 1994. If anything, they have grown more persistent, and those of us who have had to put up with them are getting increasingly frustrated. Poverty and unemployment have become deep-rooted, structural and chronic. But you know this best. Just ask yourselves here and now: Is it easier to find a job today than it was ten years ago? Does your weekly wage carry you further than it did in 1994? If your answer is no, it is a resolute no to the ANC. The ANC today boasts 70 percent of the popular vote. That is an outright majority. But should not such a big party boast a big enough pool of ideas to tackle these problems? Judging by their growing enormity, it clearly does not. But I know a party which does. This party does not hide behind excuses why things cannot be done. This party knows that there are no obstacles, only challenges. Things can be done. It is this party's confidence that has brought me to Nongoma today. It is this confidence that has taught me that it is a privilege to be in opposition today. It is an enormous privilege to possess the truth in the face of a 70-percent majority. One day this party will be strong enough to say "We told you so". We may have been in a minority all these years, but we have always held the key. Our key is to a free and self-reliant South Africa and KwaZulu-Natal.

As I stand here today, I foresee a country and a province free of overregulation, micromanagement and a culture of dependency. I foresee a country and a province where jobs and homes come from the private sector, not the government. And I foresee a country and a province which is home to free-thinking individuals, not helpless hostages of a ruling party. It was once said how ideally politics filled the Greek definition of happiness - "a full use of your powers along lines of excellence in a life-affording scope". Let that be our standard: to use our powers along lines of excellence to help change the lives of the people we serve. Let this be the IFP standard. I will not settle for anything less.

Let us not forget who we are. We are the Inkatha Freedom Party, strong, proud and bold. We have nothing to fear.