Durban - Kicking off its local government elections campaign in the eThekwini metro, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) marshalled its legion of candidates to stage a fierce fight, and wrestle as many wards as possible from the ruling ANC, in the only metro in KwaZulu-Natal.
On Friday, in Durban, the party unveiled all the candidates that it will field in the 110 wards (there are 210 seats, when including proportional representatives councillors), and the candidates included people of all majority races and tribes in the metro.
In the outgoing council, the IFP – which currently holds the title of being the provincial opposition, after dislodging the DA in the 2019 general elections – has 10 seats.
Most of the party’s votes usually come from hostels, like KwaMashu and Seventeen in Umlazi, and informal settlements like Bhambayi, in Inanda, and Lindelani, in the north of the metro.
Video: Sihle Mavuso
Addressing the gathering Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi, who is the deputy to Velenkosini Hlabisa, the president, said as a party that has served South Africans for decades, it is a party that can be trusted by voters to provide ethical governance.
“The IFP can be trusted, this is our time, this is the time to let the people of eThekwini know that the IFP is here … We are here to build many townships in this metro. We are going to present to South Africans, and the people of this province, the document which outlines what we can achieve,” Buthelezi said.
Buthelezi said many promises have been made to voters, but this is a time for action and the IFP is ready to do so.
“Go and work for them (the people), nothing else. How many seats are in this metro? … How many seats does the IFP have? You see, we have got 200 odd seats that are empty, those are the seats you have to occupy. So you must work very hard to occupy those seats. You have got this metro that is crying for change, and that change cannot just come about, it will only come through the IFP.”
Political Bureau