IFP LEADERS who are said to be at loggerheads, namely the President of the party, Mr. Velenkosini Hlabisa and the Chairman of the KwaZulu-Natal party, Mr. Thami Ntuli, spoke with one voice, condemning the division as the party launched a campaign to register for local government elections.
Hlabisa and Ntuli warned that those who create division will disrupt the local government election campaign.
They said this when they shared the stage at an event in Mpangeni.
Hlabisa criticized those who said they would not wear t-shirts with his face and those who said they would no longer wear t-shirts with the face of the founder of the group, King Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
IFP members have recently been given the right to wear t-shirts with Hlabisa’s face but there are members of the party who do not want to wear t-shirts with Hlabisa’s face.
A member of the party, Ms. Lindi Ndlovu, said that she will not wear a t-shirt with Hlabisa’s face on it while talking to the member of the Legislative Assembly who is the chairman of the youth wing of the IFP KwaZulu-Natal, Mr. Mncedisi Maphisa.
Hlabisa said that if Buthelezi was still around, he would be the first to wear a t-shirt with his face on it.
Hlabisa said Buthelezi wanted t-shirts with his face on them during the 2019 election.
At that time, Hlabisa was not yet the leader of the party, he was representing the IFP in the race for the position of prime minister of KwaZulu-Natal.
“I told Shenge that I am not yet the leader of the group, we cannot have t-shirts with the face of someone who is not the leader of the group. I said let’s use a face that people know.”
Hlabisa said that for the 2021 local government elections, Buthelezi made the same request again but they rejected him because the election campaign was interrupted by the outbreak of the Corona epidemic.
“Before the 2024 election, the Prince made the same request. Unfortunately, he bowed out. Then we decided to continue using his face in the 2024 election, as a way to highlight his contributions.
“The person who says that he will not wear Mntwana’s t-shirt because he loves Hlabisa, is a liar. The person who says that he is loyal to Mntwana, will never wear Hlabisa’s t-shirt, is a liar. Mntwana said he will be the first to wear a t-shirt with Hlabisa’s face on it. You are walking around telling people that you will not wear a t-shirt with Hlabisa’s face on it.”
Ntuli said there is no need for IFP members to fight against each other because the party has one leader which is Hlabisa, he urged all members of the party to support Hlabisa.
“It is important that we all support the president in his work. We cannot be divided. We have one leader, we do not have two leaders. We have one deputy president, we do not have two deputy presidents. We have one chairman of KwaZulu-Natal, we do not have two chairmen of KwaZulu-Natal.
“I want to emphasize this. As we go to the elections, if we forget to argue with each other, other parties will defeat us. If we forget to divide, other parties will defeat us. Anyone who leads the campaign to divide the party, that person is an enemy of the party. Whoever works to criticize the president of the party, the chairman of KwaZulu-Natal, or any other party leader, that person is an enemy of IFP unity.”