RESOLUTIONS OF THE IFP NATIONAL COUNCIL  

 

ULUNDI : Sunday, 31st January 2010

 

RESOLUTIONS

1.    REACTION TO ALLEGED ILL-TREATMENT OF WOMEN IN THE IFP

 

The IFP National Council notes with concern the public statements made during a recent ANC rally by national Human Settlements Minister Mr Tokyo Sexwale and KwaZulu-Natal Secretary of Cosatu Mr Zet Luzipho to the effect that the IFP National Chairperson should ‘come home’ to the ANC in view of the alleged ill-treatment of women within the IFP because the ANC ‘treats women better than the IFP’.

 

The IFP National Council resolves:

  1. to strongly condemn the ANC’s hostile and unwelcome interference in the internal affairs of the IFP;

  2. to appreciate the statement made in response to these comments by the IFP National Chairperson who declined the ANC’s invitation as well as the reasoning behind it;

  3. to urge the IFP Secretary-General to formally convey to the ANC the strong objections of the IFP to this kind of patronising behaviour;

  4. to assert that women constitute more than half of the IFP’s membership and that the party has since its inception in 1975 treated them accordingly – that is with respect and dignity they deserve; and

  5. to applaud the input  of the female component of the IFP National Council in response to the ANC’s statement which has unanimously expressed dismay at the allegations of ill-treatment of women in the IFP.   

 

2.    REDEPLOYMENT OF THE IFP NATIONAL CHAIRPERSON

 

The IFP National Council notes the instances of disturbances that have accompanied the ongoing deployment of IFP parliamentarians to constituencies by supporters of the IFP National Chairperson who demand that Cllr Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi should be part of this outreach programme.

 

The IFP National Council resolves:

  1. to redeploy the IFP National Chairperson as soon as possible from the position of Mayor of the Zululand District Municipality to the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature where her name was originally put forward as a candidate in the 2009 provincial elections to enable her to participate in the deployment of IFP parliamentarians to constituencies;

  2. to ensure that the IFP National Chairperson’s services are retained for the benefit of the party beyond her second term as Mayor that would expire after the 2011 local government elections in terms of the Municipal Systems Act; and

  3. to call upon her supporters to desist from further disorderly behaviour which is threatening to divert public attention from the objectives of IFP parliamentarians’ outreach programme that is to listen to constituents’ concerns and take them up in the National Assembly and the provincial Legislatures.

 

3.    CONDEMNATION OF UNFAIR MEDIA COVERAGE OF ‘LEADERSHIP CONTEST’

 

The IFP National Council notes with serious concern that the name of the IFP Secretary-General is frequently mentioned by the media in connection with the so-called ‘leadership contest’ while he has repeatedly stated that he is not available for nomination for the position of IFP President and he has likewise desisted from campaigning for this position on the ground.

The IFP National Council resolves:

 

  1. to condemn the conscious campaign on behalf of the IFP National Chairperson for the position of IFP President; and

  2. to call upon the media to desist from cheap sensationalism in their coverage of the so-called ‘leadership contest’ and from the dragging the name of the IFP Secretary-General into such a contest when there is no evidence of such a campaign on his part.

 

4.    CONDEMNATION OF PRAYER MEETING BY ‘FRIENDS OF VZ KAMAGWAZA-MSIBI’

 

The IFP National Council notes today’s prayer meeting organised by the so-called ‘Friends of VZ kaMagwaza-Msibi’ that took place without authorisation by the IFP or the Ulundi local municipality.

 

The IFP National Council resolves:

 

  1. to condemn an event that ostensibly took place to promote the IFP National Chairperson for the position of IFP President in contravention of her previous pledge not to accept nomination for this position as well as to encourage the notion that the IFP National Chairperson has been persecuted by her own party;

  2. to reject this event as an example of activities that deepen strife within the party; and

  3. to condemn the role the National Police Commissioner has played in allowing this event to take place without authorisation by the Ulundi local municipality.

5.    POSTPONEMENT OF IFP ANNUAL GENERAL CONFERENCE

 

The IFP National Council deliberated on the report by the National Organiser on the state of preparedness of branches for the 2010 Annual General Conference and noted that more than 200 party branches are ready for inauguration but failed to meet the deadline for inauguration on 31 January 2010 in order to enable delegates from these branches to attend the Annual General Conference.

 

The IFP National Council resolves:

  1. to extend the deadline for inauguration of branches until 28 February 2010;

  2. to postpone the dates for constituency, district and provincial conferences by one month; and

  3. to postpone the Annual General Conference by one month until 28-30 May 2010.

 

 

Contact: Rev Musa Zondi, 083 440 5966