Call for Hlabisa’s image on IFP regalia amid party divisions

Durban — As IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa prepares to fight for his second term in the elective conference next year, his backers have demanded that all party regalia must bear his face.

Leading the crusade against the party’s national council which decides in between conferences, a strong Hlabisa backer Xolani Msezane said it was now the time for the party to print all party regalia with Hlabisa’s face. He challenged the party’s highest decision structure to allow members to start wearing clothing with Hlabisa’s face.

The outspoken Msezane who is also party caucus leader in Endumeni Local Municipality in Dundee, north-west of KwaZulu-Natal, said there is no party where the leader was not the face of it except IFP.

He said it was now a disrespect not only for Hlabisa but for the late founder, Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi who at the conference in 2019 pushed for Hlabisa’s election against all odds to ensure that he was elected.

“In honour of Inkosi Buthelezi’s wishes, the national council must lift this ban of barring members from wearing clothing bearing president Hlabisa’s face. It's a total disrespect and evidence of not recognising him as the elected president of our party.Those who are against him being face of the party are not genuine IFP members and are circumventing democratic processes. It was the membership that elected him, so he must be allowed to lead the party,” said Msezane.

Furthermore, Msezane said if the reason for not printing T-shirts with Hlabisa’s face was because the party was still mourning Inkosi Buthelezi, the period has been long enough. He added that by calling for Hlabisa’s face on the party regalia he was not saying the late Inkosi Buthelezi’s face must be removed.

He said there was nothing wrong with wearing regalia with Buthelezi’s face, as it has been happening in the ANC, where people still wear clothing with Mandela’s face and the other late leaders.

Msezane said he was disturbed that some members sang about a certain provincial leader, and not about Hlabisa during the May elections campaign in uMlazi, saying this was a total undermining of the leader.

Hlabisa was elected in 2019, as the party’s president unopposed after he was nominated by the late Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who resumed the position of party’s emeritus president.

The party also decided that in honour of Buthelezi, he would remain the face of the organisation in the 2021 local government elections.

After Buthelezi’s death in September last year, Hlabisa was appointed to replace Buthelezi in parliament. Insiders said the party was divided into three factions. One supports Hlabisa, another supports provincial chairperson and premier Thami Ntuli while the third faction wants the status quo to remain, for the sake of stability and peace within the party.

IFP national spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said the president of the IFP unequivocally enjoys the full support of the entire leadership.

He said Msezane is displaying the highest level of ill-discipline, “he knows the processes one needs to follow, as the IFP spelled the rules out recently.”

Hlengwa said, "I want to distance President Hlabisa from the claims of people who want to use his name to lobby for themselves while displaying the highest level of ill-discipline. If Msezane wants to petition, he must do so to the national council, not the media - as it is not the right platform."

Hlengwa said Hlabisa approached the national council and wanted Buthelezi's face on the party's regalia. And that he has not come back to say he wants his earlier request changed.

“Hlabisa's face was on the ballot paper, he was leading the election campaigns,” Hlengwa said.

WhatsApp your views on this story to 071 485 7995.

Daily News