NATIONAL COUNCIL MEETING 7 & 8 July 2005

The National Council of the Inkatha Freedom Party, which met in Durban on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th July, 2005, unanimously adopted the following resolutions:

1. G8 - Africa
   
   i. Noting that the leaders of the G8 countries are meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland, in the United Kingdom; and,

   ii. Further noting that the seminal issues of granting generous aid to the continent of Africa is the top item on the G8's agenda;

Resolves as follows:

i. To express our appreciation to the leaders of the G8 countriesfor their recent agreement to offer debt relief against 18 African countries;

ii. To call upon the G8 leaders to consider the total cancellation of debt against the poorest countries of the world as these debt obligations impede their development efforts and the opportunity for these poorest nations to invest in capital expenditure; and,

iii. To call on the leaders of the G8 countries to support Prime Minister Tony Blair's efforts to establish a fund of at least $50 billion to assist African countries to break out of the poverty trap and to access the opportunities and the market of the developed world.

2.     Economic Policy

i. Noting that the recent meeting of the National General Council of the African National Congress, which met in Pretoria, deliberated on a number of substantive economic issues facing the country such as the need for introducing greater flexibility in the South Africa labour market such as a dual labour market for young people;

ii. Mindful of the fact that the President of the Inkatha Freedom Party, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, has over the last decade consistently raised the need to reform labour market legislation with enhanced flexibility in order to alleviate unemployment, to stimulate economic growth and attract foreign direct investment; and,

iii. Noting the rigid mindset with which the trade union movement under the banner of the Congress of South African Trade Unions have consistently rejected any attempts to address the need for flexibility in our labour markets;

Resolves as follows:

i. That the ANC's National General Council missed an excellent opportunity to rise to the historical challenge of approving the introduction of a measure of flexibility into the South African labour market but, alas, chose to demonstrate their displeasure at the President of the ANC by torpedoing the most important political reform of our time;

ii. To condemn COSATU for refusing to consider any concessions on this issue and for protecting the interests of their employed members to the detriment of millions more who languish in unemployment; and,

iii. To further condemn COSATU for organising marches against the business community apportioning blame for sluggish economic growth and the high rates of unemployment when COSATU, as major stakeholders in NEDLAC, persistently refuses to acquiesce to any concessions to reform our rigid labour market which they themselves helped establish.

3.      London terrorist attacks

i. Expresses shock and outrage at the terrorist outrage that took place in London yesterday,

Resolves as follows:

i. To condemn these dastardly deeds and call upon the family of democratic nations to redouble its efforts to combat terrorism and to bring its sponsors to justice;

ii. To convey our sincerest condolences and prayers to Her Majesty's government and the British people at this difficult time; and,

iii. To pray that South Africans living in London have escaped unscathed;

iv. To complement the stoic character of the British people who have defied the terrorists by going about their business as usual and to welcome the leadership displayed by Prime Minister Tony Blair in his resolve that the G8 meeting be not derailed.