WHY THE IFP MUST BE A FORCE FOR CHANGE

Conference: 

1. RESPONDS to the call of our President, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, to be a "force for change" and for members to be willing to have the courage to work and to fight for change;
2. ACCEPTS that politics is evolving  in that political action is required in the form of "permanent" campaigning and that every member must understand that this must happen, on the ground, in all of their communities each and every day;
3. FURTHER acknowledges his contention that it is the mission of the IFP to eliminate all the current obstacles which impede citizens from achieving their goals, including the natural quest for prosperity, a better education for our children,  safety and security and to be the beneficiaries of efficient and effective multi-faceted government service delivery;
4. ACCEPTS that it is also the role of the party to teach that "there is no freedom without responsibility and that duties come before rights";
5. ONCE AGAIN repeats the long-held belief of the IFP that policies and programmes which promote self-help and self-reliance will, without doubt, assist in creating a "better life for all".

THE REAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ANC AND THE IFP

Conference: 

1. DESIRES that the ANC alliance and the IFP function as competing political entities with honesty and integrity and that both parties do so in such a manner as to promote and protect vibrant multi-party democracy and ensure non-violent democratic contestation;

2. STATES unequivocally that entreaties that both parties "merge" or enter into a so-called "marriage" are rejected;

3. EMPHASISES that it is the intention of the IFP to function, as it has done since its inception, as a distinct and independent political force promoting the vision and values it has developed over many decades on behalf of the people of South Africa and that there will be no "merger" with the ANC or any other party at any time whatsoever;

4. ENCOURAGES constructive dialogue with the ANC and any other party when required;

5. FINDS the entreaties for a so-called political "marriage" strange when many in the ANC, and particularly ANC leadership in the Province of KwaZulu Natal, continue to vilify the President of the IFP and openly provoke confrontation by, for example, attempting to remove and replace the name of the Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi Highway;

6. SUPPORTS the view of the President of the IFP, as expressed in a letter to the President of the ANC, that legitimate political competition and the need for an ongoing process of reconciliation between both parties "must be carefully balanced, and that it is vital that we do not send contradictory signals to our constituents at this time..";

7. CALLS on members to make it abundantly clear in their permanent campaigning of the vast differences between the IFP and the ANC and to warn against attempts to deliberately confuse members with talk of bogus alliances.

OPPOSITION PARTY CO-OPERATION: THE STAND OF THE IFP

Conference: 

1. NOTES the recent proposal by the leader of the Democratic Alliance, Mrs Helen Zille, about the need for opposition party cooperation and strategic alliances;

2. RECALLS that the party has previously engaged in alliance politics;

3. SUPPORTS opposition party cooperation following elections, but not before elections, so as to ensure that voters can vote for the party of their choice without any doubts as to hidden and confusing political alliances;

4. URGES honesty and transparency so that voters should be fully aware of which parties any party may be willing to work with after an election on the basis of public policy preferences and not on the basis of expedient grabs for power.
    

BROKEN PROMISES: THE BETRAYAL OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS

Conference: 

1. RECORDS the litany of broken promises with regard to the promotion and protection of the role of traditional leadership since CODESA and from 1994 thereafter when the ANC-led Government has consistently and deviously attempted to diminish their revered and customary function in the lives of millions of South Africans;

2. DEPLORES legislation which presumes to dictate to His Majesty the King of the Zulu Nation as to who he may have on his council and who he may not and for how long they may serve;

3. OBJECTS with contempt this grave insult to His Majesty and to traditional leaders throughout the Kingdom of KwaZulu;

4. CONDEMNS the further insult clearly and specifically directed at the President of the IFP, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, in ANC-crafted law which will prohibit him from serving in the House of Traditional Leaders if he (or any other traditional leader) remains a member of parliament, provincial legislature or serves in Local Government;

5. WARNS traditional leadership throughout South Africa (as we have continued to do for many years) of being complacent with regard to the obvious intentions of the ANC Alliance to bend the role of traditional leadership to their political will and to subjugate traditional leaders to being mere ceremonial figures;

6. URGES citizens to study the recorded and tragic historical lessons of countries throughout Africa where ideologically-driven party-political ideologues parading as democrats have either attempted to smash or have eradicated traditional leaderships with huge and destructive social consequences;

7. BELIEVES the role of traditional leaders, divested to lead communities through customary law the way it has been practiced for generations, is of inestimable value in our society;

8. APPLAUDS the lifelong service and leadership Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi has dedicated to protecting the traditions of not only the Zulu Nation but of all South Africans who value their various cultures.

SOUTH AFRICA RESPONDING TO THE GROWING GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS AND THE PLIGHT OF THE POOR

Conference: 

1. WARNS that the global economic recession will continue to severely affect South African citizens and inflation will continue to rob the poor at the expense of the rich;

2. CONDEMNS the huge increases in the cost of basic food commodities and the plight of the poor who are now in even more desperate straits and are, in essence, being actively victimized by all manner of cost increases beyond their control;

3. WELCOMES the government initiative to provide food vouchers to some but believes far more is required to assist the many millions of the poor who need respite from this economic battering which is not of their own making;

4. NOTES that while ordinary citizens are being told to "tighten their belts" and are being squeezed by ever-increasing interest rates, huge amounts of the very taxes these same citizens are paying -- via VAT on most purchases and out of their salaries -- are being transferred to a wealthy elite at the receiving end of lucrative Government contracts, other Government perks and price-fixing - the true extent of which is only now being revealed;

5. CALLS for VAT to be scrapped on far more food items than at present - especially those that will benefit the poor;

6. BELIEVES that South Africa could have been better cushioned against the current economic disaster if the policies the IFP has long advocated had been implemented post 1994:   the need for South Africa to develop its economic independence through solid and widespread industrial bases and the liberalization of market forces;

7. PLEDGES that an IFP-led Government will ensure that Government departments will no longer serve the interests of those in power as is now the case and that efficiency, dedication and impartiality will be demanded of all public servants;

8. SOUNDS a Clarion Call for the poor and the middle classes of South Africa to unite and to heed the message of the President of the IFP to prepare to fight the rapidly approaching recession by advocating pro-poor measures, and to help lay the foundation for a new South African economic order in which the politics of corruption, cronyism, mismanagement, inefficiency and the abuse of the poor will no longer be tolerated.

THE ARMS DEAL: ALL THE FACTS MUST BE REVEALED

Conference: 

1. SUPPORTS the view of the majority of South Africans as expressed throughout our media and in public debate that all the facts relating to the so-called "arms deal" must be made available for public and independent judicial enquiry;

2. REGRETS that there is a growing perception that Government and by extension the ruling party is tainted by corruption;

3. BELIEVES that the old saying that "sunlight is the best disinfectant" applies in this matter in that the truth must be revealed (no matter the outcome) so as to ensure that the reputation of the country for probity, transparency and honesty is protected.  If there has been corruption it must be exposed;

4. AGREES that given the appalling and rapid escalation in costs since the decision was made to acquire the arms -- amounting to many extra billions of rands -- that the country could not afford the expenditure which has, clearly, been at the expense of crucial spending priorities including health, housing, education and the provision of electricity, water and the provision of a Basic Income Grant;

5. CONCLUDES that Government appears to have been badly advised as to the need for and the ultimate cost of this defence expenditure and that it is now obvious that (given the well-known and odious reputation of the international arms industry) the requirement of independent and ongoing forensic auditing and multi-faceted contractual oversight was not suitably prioritised;

6. CALLS for further arms transactions in this regard to be cancelled.

GOVERNMENT'S ADMISSION AT LAST ABOUT THE FAILURE OF OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS NO SURPRISE

Conference: 

1. NOTES that it is not surprised that Deputy Justice Minister Johnny de Lange has described the country's criminal justice system as "fragmented" and "unacceptably dysfunctional" and our technological level in this regard as "Stone Age";

2. REITERATES that the IFP has long voiced the fears and the experiences of citizens who, as Deputy Minister De Lange admits, have "lost faith" in the criminal justice system;

3. IS ALARMED at the recent disrespectful attacks on the integrity of our judiciary by certain ANC political leaders and insidious attempts by the ANC-led Government to politically manipulate and subordinate the independence of our courts;

4. URGES citizens to understand that if they allow the ANC to continue to challenge, undermine the authority and articulate such disrespect for those in whom we trust to impartially (without fear or favour) dispense our laws and protect the Constitution of the Republic, then we are heading for dangerous days indeed;

5. FINDS it farcical that in spite of all of the factual revelations about crime and violence in South Africa, the Government is still determined to disband the so-called Scorpions in spite of the obvious success they have achieved in their own specialised sphere of fighting crime and at a time when the head of the Public Service Commission, Professor Stan Sangweni, has also admitted that corruption in the civil service is rapidly increasing;

6. CONDEMNS the ANC-led Government for long concealing the truth about its failure to fight crime (which the Minister now admits to amounting to more than two million reported crimes annually) and to administer justice as required by the Constitution of the Republic;

7. BELIEVES that no other democracy in the world would tolerate a government which openly admitted that last year 655 000 crime-related dockets last year could not be processed and 720 000 the year before and that it was "impossible" to say of the 18 000 murders that happened five years ago, "what happened to them";

8. CONTINUES TO BE APPALLED at the loss of life, serious personal injury, theft of property and the ceaseless attacks on the dignity of the millions of men, women and children who have long suffered and continue to suffer at the hands of rapists, child molesters and the criminal thugs who terrorize our  communities with impunity;

9. RECOGNISES that this failure of Government is primarily responsible for the flight of expertise -- the so-called emigration "brain drain" from our country -- and is negatively and seriously impacting on our economy and psyche as a nation which is manifested in fear, depression and disillusionment;

10. SALUTES the professionals throughout the criminal justice system who, facing the various constraints that they do, continue to work with admirable dedication and motivation;

11. SCORNS all those who are lazy, inept and corrupt and whose employment is protected at the expense of the safety and security of the citizens of the country;

12. SUPPORTS the policy proposals of the party as outlined, in part, in RESOLUTION 11.

LAW AND ORDER - WHAT THE IFP WOULD DO

Conference: 

1. THANKS citizens throughout South Africa who have contributed and participated in our "listening campaigns" at which numerous IFP draft public policy programmes have been outlined, including issues relating to law and order;

2. URGES members, supporters and concerned South Africans to study these proposals in full which are open for constructive criticism and amendment;

3. INFORMS that detailed recommendations have been  made with regard to the judiciary, policing, prisons and correctional services;

4. HIGHLIGHTS only some areas of strategic importance (among many) which an IFP-led government would immediately prioritise:
   
   * The JUDICIARY:  improving accessibility to our courts, improving the working conditions   of the judiciary, depoliticizing appointments to the bench and improving access to legal aid;
   * POLICING:  upgrading the training system with a special focus on investigative skills and forensics, developing highly qualified, well paid and highly motivated crime fighters, the provision of adequate resources to fight crime efficiently and effectively, decentralizing policing powers - even to the local level, encouraging community respect for authority and ensuring that police were far more accountable to the communities they serve, depoliticizing appointments to the police force, improving working conditions and placing more focus on victims' rights;
   * PRISONS AND CORRECTIONAL SERVICES:  Reintroducing hard labour for certain categories of crime, strict control under which hard core prisoners serve their sentences, overhauling the parole system (to prevent hard-core criminals and the politically connected from benefiting), increased efforts to rehabilitate juvenile offenders, alternatives to prison for minor offenders, increasing the number of prisons and correctional facilities, depoliticizing staffing appointments and a specific focus on rooting out current rampant corruption throughout these departments.

HIV-AIDS CRISIS: WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE

Conference: 

1. SUPPORTS IFP policy proposals that the HIV-AIDS pandemic must be declared a national crisis;

2. ADVOCATES and agrees that the most effective tool for the prevention of HIV infection is abstinence, delayed sexual activity, a reduction in numbers of sexual partners (premarital couples), fidelity (married couples) and more condom use among the sexually active;

3. CONTINUES to stress the need for the rapid rollout of ARVs and that the upgrading of our health system must be prioritized;

4. URGES the promotion of the social and economic rights of people living with HIV-AIDS and that provision must be made to improve the current CD4 count-based disability grant criteria and that consideration must be given for the provision of chronic illness grants in this regard;

5. REQUIRES branches and members to continue to implement previous party resolutions requiring all concerned to ensure that support groups assist people infected and/or affected by HIV-AIDS, that they actively promote the benefits of general HIV-AIDS awareness, safe sex education, regular testing for HIV and STI's and prioritise the care of AIDS orphans.

THE DANGERS OF ANC-ALIGNED STREET COMMITTEES: WE MUST NEVER FORGET RECENT HISTORY AND MUST NOT BE NAIVE

Conference: 

1. WARNS citizens to be aware of the political and social dangers of so-called "Street Committees" being set up by the ANC and promoted by its President  as being community initiatives to fight crime ;

2. REMINDS members and supporters of how so-called "Street Committees" were used to intimidate and terrorize communities at the time in our recent past when thousands lost their lives to political violence;

3. URGES communities to beware of consequences which could well include future lawlessness, anarchy and the re-establishment of political "no go" areas resulting in loss of life and the destruction of property;

4. CALLS on communities, academics, NGO's, the media, the South African Police Service and our intelligence agencies to be vigilant and to closely monitor and to openly report on the activities of these so-called "Street Committees";

5. REGISTERS its concern that these committees could quickly become infiltrated with criminal elements as no apparent screening will be done on individuals participating;

6. FEARS that the launch of unrestrained so-called community crime-combating units under a political banner is extremely dangerous and questions why this is being initiated just prior to a general election;

7. CONCLUDES that this initiative of the ANC is one of thinly disguised political mobilization and is also an obvious admission that the criminal justice system of the ANC-led Government has failed to protect the very citizens it is now asking to protect themselves!

BREAK THE SILENCE ON XENOPHOBIA

Conference: 

1. RECORDS the shame of all South Africans with regard to the recent appalling incidents of Xenophobia throughout the country, in which there was tragic loss of life and property and victims were clearly terrorized;

2. FURTHER records the apology on behalf of South Africa to all who suffered this horrible abuse at the hands of our fellow citizens whose actions we unreservedly condemn;

3. CALLS for strong and continuous action by Government in bringing a swift halt to this barbarous behaviour and requests all political, faith-based and community leadership to raise strong voices against Xenophobia;

4. REPEATS the IFP message that people of goodwill must not remain silent while innocent men, women and children are being hunted down like animals for taking refuge in our country and that it is grossly inhuman that these people are persecuted for escaping political and economic conditions in their countries of origin which were beyond their control and not of their own doing;

5. AGREES with the views of various human rights groups that the reintegration of victims of Xenophobia must be carefully managed and that it must be seen as a complex matter requiring acute sensitivity;

6. URGES widespread dialogue, national debate and education as to the rights of refugees and immigrants;

7. ACKNOWLEDGES the instant response of our President in being the first political leader to despatch IFP leadership to the affected areas, which he also immediately personally visited to comfort the victims of these horrible attacks.
   
    

SOUTH AFRICA'S CRUMBLING EDUCATION SYSTEM IS FAILING OUR YOUTH AND WILL CRIPPLE THE FUTURE SOCIO-ECONOMIC GROWTH PROSPECTS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Conference: 

1. AGAIN records with despair that education in South Africa is in a state of crisis and that the management of the whole education system is structurally dysfunctional;

2. AGREES with public commentary that "hope must be restored to the many young South Africans whose future is being stolen by an education system that is failing them"  (Dr Mamphela Ramphele, Sunday Times, August 17, 2008);

3. SUPPORTS IFP policy that an entirely new legislative framework is required to put right all that is wrong in our system of education;

4. PLEDGES that an IFP-led government would immediately introduce basic free education up to and including Grade 12 and  urges the ANC-led government to stop wasting time and start implementing this;

5. APPLAUDS the comprehensive policy programme developed by the party with regard to education which includes devolving policy-making to provinces, diversification to cater for vocational, technical and academic needs and the development of highly qualified, well-paid and highly motivated educators;

6. BLAMES the increasing political centralisation of departments of education throughout the country, ideological lunacy and power grabs by ANC Education Ministers since 1994 for much of the problem which includes the systematic stripping of the powers of school governing bodies;

7. BELIEVES that examples elsewhere throughout Africa and internationally have provided concrete evidence that free and compulsory education is enormously successful and in a short space of time provides crucial and nationally important skills required in both the public and private sectors;

8. WARNS of the consequences to government, commerce and industry if South Africa continues to be unable to provide an educated and capable workforce and which is already exemplified in the current phraseology that  "capacity problems" are responsible for all manner of mismanagement, corruption and lack of service delivery;

9. URGES that public/private partnerships be enabled to more effectively assist multi-faceted educational initiatives;

10. CALLS for parents and citizens in general to start to insist on a culture of accountability at educator and management level.

THE IFP URGES A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO THE CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE

Conference: 

1. ADDS THE VOICE OF THE IFP to all that pray that the hope of the people of the Republic of Zimbabwe for an end to their suffering as a result of their political and economic crisis will soon be realized;

2. RECORDS that the precarious situation, unless resolved, will continue to adversely impact on Zimbabwe's neighbours and the region in general, and that it is therefore in all our best interests to encourage a genuine political settlement in which the will of that country's voters is honestly and appropriately reflected;

3. URGES SADC leadership to unite in ensuring that they now all finally become cohesively relevant as a part of the solution instead of the reality of some members, at present, being divisively part of the problem;

4. ENCOURAGES mediators, including President Thabo Mbeki, to be strident in their determination to insist that any resolution resulting from the current negotiations will be a triumph for the people of Zimbabwe as a whole and not a triumph for a small clique of politicians;

5. BELIEVES that it is therefore imperative that during these negotiations representatives of civil society are fully represented and should include, for instance, women's and youth organizations, religious leaders, the legal fraternity, business, farmers, trade unions and so on;

6. ACCEPTS that however much we all desire a successful settlement, attempts at any one-sided "quick fix" with no truly feasible prospects of long-term success must not be contemplated.

THE IFP APPLAUDS THE SOUTH AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FREE TRADE AGREEMENT TO FACILITATE REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

Conference: 

1. APPLAUDS the recent SADC Free Trade Area agreement to facilitate regional economic integration and believes this should also be viewed as a necessary and positive step towards complimentary regional political initiatives and social development;

2. ENCOURAGES an economically strong SADC region which will assist in protecting citizens from the growing and uncompromising market forces of economic globalization which are often detrimental to African countries;

3. AGREES that increased integration can bring a wealth of opportunities for the region;

4. FULLY SUPPORTS reported efforts to ensure increased trade and reduced tariff barriers between countries of the developing world (and especially throughout the African continent) to reduce their dependence on Western markets which continue to apply agricultural subsidies (in their own countries) that distort trade;

5. FURTHER AGREES that developing countries must trade more between each other and reduce current trade barriers which inhibit this.

IFP PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE LATE PRINCESS LETHUXOLO BENGITHENI BUTHELEZI

Conference: 

1. MOURNS the tragic passing away of Princess Lethuxolo Bengitheni, the daughter of our President Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Princess Irene Buthelezi, who served her father and our party with selfless dedication.  We will sorely miss her beauty, grace, style, sensitivity, her deep humanity and her wonderful sense of humour as she reached out to us all.
   
    

IFP PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE LATE REVEREND CELANI JEFFREY MTETWA MPL

Conference: 

1. THANKS GOD for the long and fruitful life of Reverend CJ Mtetwa MPL, a man of God, a founding member of the IFP, a staunch loyalist, a dedicated community worker and a former Minister in the erstwhile KwaZulu Government as well as in post-1994 provincial governments, who was credited by all parties as having made a substantial contribution to assisting in bringing relative peace to KwaZulu Natal. His wisdom, diligence and common sense enriched us all. 

IFP CONDEMNS COLD-BLOODED MURDER OF COMRADE BHEKISISA MTHETHWA, A LEADER OF THE IFP AT JACOBS HOSTEL IN DURBAN

Conference: 

1. CONDEMNS the cold-blooded murder of Comrade Bhekisisa Mthetwa who was the chairperson of an IFP Branch in Jacobs Hostel Durban;

2. EXPRESSES further shock that soon thereafter an attack was launched at the home of Cllr Ebrahim Shaik in which the late Bhekisisa Mthetwa lived;

3. BELIEVES that the two incidents are linked and is persuaded to think that they are politically related;

4. WARNS of the dangers of the possibility of the escalation of the violent conflicts of the past;

5. CALLS on the supporters of the IFP to remain calm in the face of grave provocation.
   
    

CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF THE ZAMBIAN PRESIDENT, PATRICK LEVY MWANAWASA - TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2008

Conference: 

1. OFFERS its condolences to the Mwanawasa family, the Zambian Government and the people of Zambia following the untimely death of President Mwanawasa; 2. RECORDS his brilliant and dedicated service to the people of his country and to the region of South Africa in his role as Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).  He will be sorely missed.

CONFERENCE SALUTES IFP PRESIDENT PRINCE MANGOSUTHU BUTHELEZI

Conference: 

1. APPLAUDS our President's undiminished dedication to the country and the party, despite ongoing family tragedies;

2. EXPRESSES its appreciation and gratitude to our President for his exemplary leadership rooted in honesty, integrity and courage in a time of crisis, as the country gears up for the fourth democratic election amid adverse social, political and economic circumstances and grave concerns about the future;

3. SALUTES our President's legacy at the helm of the erstwhile KwaZulu Government, the only government of the province administered by Inkatha without coalition partners, whose outstanding track record of development and selfless service to the poorest of the poor continues to inspire the IFP's commitment to our cause in South Africa and KwaZulu Natal, in particular, which the party aspires to govern again after the 2009 election.