In what many have described as a historic move, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has opened its first ever offices in Mahikeng in the North West.
The offices are named after the current party leader and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa.
The opening ceremony was led by the National Chairperson Mziwenkosi Gwala, accompanied by the Treasurer General Narend Singh and other senior leaders including the North West’s Interim Provincial Chairperson Themba Gwabeni on Saturday.
During the ceremony, the IFP leadership refuted claims that the party has always been a “Zulu-regional party” with stronghold in KwaZulu-Natal without any prospects of growing beyond the province.
“That has always been the view of our detractors who want to reduce the IFP to a small or even a regional party in Natal.
We have footprint here and have an interim structure that has been appointed to ensure the growth of the party,” said Gwala
Moreover, Gwala said the move is significant because the party was banned in the 1990s and couldn’t mobilise support in former homelands like Bophuthatswana, Venda, Ciskei and others.
The Party’s Treasurer General and Parliamentary Chief Whip Narend Singh told Newsnote that the move was influenced by the performance of the party in the May 29 general elections.
“We are optimistic, albeit with a small number of votes we received from the people of the North West during the past general elections.
We have an interim structure led by Acting Provincial Chairperson Themba Gwabeni here that will mobilise and recruit people to join the IFP,” Singh emphasised.
Singh highlighted that the IFP is working on mobilising support for the upcoming local government elections and hopes to garner enough support as it has shown that it has the capacity to govern in KwaZulu-Natal and nationally through the government of National Unity, GNU.
