IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa has been finally made the face of the party after being shadowed by the late founder, inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi, since 2019.
Image: Leon Lestrade / Independent Media
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has finally agreed to allow its president Velenkosini Hlabisa to be the face of the party's elections campaigns.
In the 2019 elective conference in Ulundi in the north of KwaZulu-Natal, where Hlabisa was elected, the conference resolved that members would not wear any regalia bearing his face and instead the then founder of the party inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi would continue to be face of the organisation.
During the 2021 local government elections, Hlabisa was not permitted to lead the party's campaign. Instead, the party decided to use Buthelezi’s image on all campaign materials and as the face next to the party's logo on the ballot.
However, at a party meeting on Monday, which was held in Empangeni, the party resolved that Hlabisa must now be the face of the organisation and the regalia bearing his face is now permitted.
Although the party’s national spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa did not respond to questions sent to him for confirmation of the resolution, two senior party members, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the resolution.
They said the decision was agreed at the party’s extended national council meeting on Monday.
“Yes, the meeting agreed to make the president the face of the organisation as we prepare for the upcoming local government elections. We are happy that the matter has been finally resolved as it was dividing the organisation,” said the member.
Another member welcomed the decision, describing it as long overdue. The leader has been fighting for the full recognition of Hlabisa.
The conference's ruling to forbid members from wearing Hlabisa's T-shirts intensified the party's pre-existing divisions, manifesting in two main factions: Konke Kuhamba Kahle (KKK) – meaning "all is well" – and Abusekho Ubunzima (AU) – meaning "no more problems."
The KKK faction was generally opposed to Hlabisa's leadership and desired Buthelezi to remain in charge, despite his retirement. Conversely, the AU faction asserted that the party's "problems" were over now that Hlabisa had taken over as the new leader.
In 2023, the AU defied the 2019 conference resolution and displayed regalia with Hlabisa’s face. This angered the national leadership, which issued a memorandum to all districts leadership to hunt the defiant members and bring their names to leadership to charge them.
Meanwhile, the party has formally postponed its provincial and national conferences to March next year. The decision was also taken on Monday. The party cited preparations for the election as the reason for the postponement.
In a statement the party issued, it said the national council resolved that 2026 must be approached as a decisive and focused year for the party with emphasis on the upcoming local government elections.
“These elections present a critical opportunity to consolidate and expand the gains made by the IFP across municipalities, and to strengthen our position as a credible, people-centred alternative in local governance. To minimise disruption to the local government election campaign and to ensure organisational efficiency, the party has adopted the following new conference timetable and agreed that the provincial and national conferences must take place in March next year,” read the statement.
The party also resolved that only sub-regional and regional conferences must be held and concluded by June.
willem.phungula@inl.co.za