The African National Congress's recent policy conference in Midrand provided a snapshot of the ruling party's position on the exercise of power and the relationship between competing centres of power. 

There was a vigorous debate about the so-called "two centres of power" - whether it is desirable for the leader of the party and the leader of the country to be different people. The delegates fudged the question with the seemingly innocuous word "preferably". Parties should not be converted into machines for the election of the leader but, predictably, both sides declared victory. We will have to wait until December to get the final answer.  

There were also some clear indicators of the ANC's approach to competing centres of power, particularly other political parties. There was an interesting reference in the Legislature and Governance policy document which stated that, whilst KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape have "relatively strong technical capacity, they present special challenges for the ANC politically". 

I presume the "special challenges" in the case of KwaZulu-Natal is a reference to the ruling party's relationship with the IFP and the dogged determination of the latter to compete for power. The IFP is now fully playing its role as the official opposition in KwaZulu-Natal. I am, however, concerned at the poor relationship and the increasingly negative rhetoric between the two parties at the provincial level. 

The cordial relationship between the respective parties' national leaders and the normalisation of party relations, in terms of how political parties in a multi-party democracy interact with one another, has not filtered down to the provincial level. Last month's fierce exchange was over the provincial Legislature's Speaker's conduct. The IFP believes that Mr Willies Mchunu is not fit to run the legislature in the spirit of multi-party democracy, tolerance and impartiality.  

The Speaker's conduct, marked by partiality and bias, is in stark contrast to the period of 1994-2004 when the Legislature, managed jointly by the multi-party Executive Board and led by a largely ceremonial Speaker, enjoyed the reputation of an institution committed to impartiality, tolerance and political pluralism. This period coincided with the IFP's tenure of office.  

Another recent spat followed the ejection of IFP members of the provincial cabinet by the KwaZulu Natal Premier last year. Our position was that since we were invited by the ANC and the Premier to participate in what they called a "broad-based" ANC-led government, it was the prerogative of the ANC and the Premier to tell the IFP MEC's that they have overstayed their welcome. 

The ANC often alleges that the IFP has destroyed the relationship between itself and the ANC by co-operating with opposition parties in various municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal. This is a canard. The ANC has itself ganged up with some of these political parties and took control of several municipalities from which they have now been ousted. 

Where was the so-called relationship between the ANC and the IFP when the ANC gladly co-operated with these parties to the detriment of the IFP? I would point out again that since the advent of democratic local government in South Africa there has never been any agreement reached by the ANC and IFP to work together at local government level.  

The ANC and the IFP co-governed at national level between 1994 and 2006 and between 1994 and 2004 at provincial level in KwaZulu-Natal, but this co-operation did not reach a stage where it could cascade to the local government level. This, in itself, is not intrinsically a bad potent for multi-party democracy in the province. But, at the same time, the relationship between the two parties must not be allowed to descend into bitter acrimony.  

This brings me to my other concern, which was also flagged by pronouncements at the ANC policy conference, about the politicisation of the civil service.  

Where there was little dissent was the ruling party's desire to roll out a "cadre development" programme and the need for "ANC career planning"

in the relentless pursuit of the "national democratic revolution". It is quite acceptable, indeed desirable for any political party to seek to build a leadership and intellectual class. Yet one is concerned about how ANC supporters are being given preferential treatment and fast-track advancement in the civil service. 

In KwaZulu-Natal, civil service employees who are aligned to the IFP have been retrenched and sidelined. The Minister of Public Service and Administration, Ms Fraser-Moleketi never replied to my letter complaining about this.    

Speaking from my own experience of dealing with the civil service in KwaZulu- Natal, the civil servants who are obviously aligned with the ANC do not always correspond with the ruling party's enlightened image of a leadership and intellectual class. The latter, despite vigorous attempts by the ANC to infiltrate the civil service with its own cohorts, too often remains the ruling party's wishful thinking. 

Yours sincerely,

Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi MP