Date: 06/08/2011
Source: The Inkatha Freedom Party
Title: IFP: Buthelezi: Address by the president, at the national elective conference of the South African Democratic Students’ Movement, Umlazi

I wish to thank the President of SADESMO, Mr Ntuthuko Majozi, and the
National Council of SADESMO, for inviting me to address this elective
conference. As we reiterated earlier this year, SADESMO is a structure
of the IFP and serves the interests of the IFP among South Africa's
students. The IFP's successes are therefore the successes of SADESMO,
just as the challenges the IFP faces are the same challenges faced by
our Student's Movement.

Like the threshing basket, this organization has been agitated and
shaken. In so doing, the wheat has been separated from the chaff, for
the chaff has been blown away on the winds of division and deceit.
What is left seems like less than what we started with. But what we
have now is far more valuable. What we have in SADESMO now can be
turned into political bread to nourish and strengthen.

But I must still add a warning that SADESMO is still facing elements
who are determined to undermine it or even destroy it. So there must
be no time for relaxation. As long as you are operating as a
principled organization that you are, accept that you will have
enemies that will crop up even within your own ranks. This has been
the story of my life. This has been the story of the IFP. Accept
that this will be the story of the life of SADESMO.

Any organization would be severely tested by the kind of storms the
IFP went through in the past two years, from the first ructions caused
by the "Friends of VZ", to the failed court case of Mrs
kaMagwaza-Msibi in which her treachery was exposed, to the split she
created and the formation of the National Freedom Party mere weeks
before the Local Government Elections. Then the election results,
which proved the destructiveness of the NFP splitting the vote, and
the NFP-ANC coalition that proved the NFP was a surrogate of the
ruling Party.

The IFP weathered all these storms with resolute faith in our
principles, our legacy and our supporters. There is no question that
we were bruised and damaged by what transpired, particularly by the
election results. But after all this; after the consistently negative
media coverage we received; after the escalation of brown envelope
journalism and biased reporting; after the pundits repeatedly penned
our obituary; and after we struggled to compete with the flush flow of
funds in the ANC and NFP; the IFP emerged with the support of so many
South Africans that we regained the position of third largest
political party in this country. Those who were gleeful about what
happened during the local government elections must accept the fact
that while we are bruised by the ANC/NFP onslaught, they are far from
done with us. Let me remind them of the famous words of President
Mandela in April 2002; "We have used every ammunition to destroy
'Buthelezi, but we failed. And he is still there. He is a formidable
survivor. We cannot ignore him."

We did it because we never stopped working when the odds were stacked
against us. We never gave up and we never gave in. Ironically, through
this storm we have proven ourselves perfectly cut out for the role
that has now been thrust upon us; that of opposition politics. The
election result has shed us of the responsibilities of governance in
most municipalities and given us the mandate to pursue a
no-holds-barred opposition role. The tensions between being in
government and being a watchdog over government have been removed,
enabling us to focus all our energy and resources on being a vigilant
and vocal opposition.

This is a role the IFP is well-equipped to play, and it is a role that
politically active students are naturally drawn to. History proves
that ideological revolutions are born on university campuses.
Institutions of higher learning are the crucible in which social
change is forged. This is not because students become presidents and
ministers, but because students become the voice of dissent, demanding
that what is wrong in a society and a government is put right.

As the IFP takes on the role of opposition, we rely on SADESMO to
ignite a new passion within students for opposition politics. In some
ways, that is not hard to do, because opposing the many
inefficiencies, corrupt practices and inadequacies of government is
easy. We do not need to look far for a fight, or a cause to adopt. But
opposition politics is about more than complaining loudly. It is about
serving the interests of our people by protecting and promoting first
the Constitution, then the institutions that uphold our Constitution
and the values that support them.

The task ahead is made more difficult by the handicap we suffer in the
IFP of being a cash-strapped party. There are not enough resources for
us to accomplish all that we envision, and often our good ideas cannot
be implemented for lack of finances. I know that SADESMO has suffered
because of this. It is frustrating when you know what needs to be
done, but you cannot do it. One of the areas in which we will need to
develop our skills is that of fund-raising. We have no other choice.
We in the IFP are unfortunate in that unlike what happens in the
ruling Party, for instance, hardly any of our entrepreneurs ever think
of giving the Party any financial assistance. So SADESMO as part of
our movement suffers the same fate as we do, as a Party. That is why
we see some of our unprincipled Tenderpreneurs leaving the IFP like
rats who think the ship is sinking. It is sad that we find these even
amongst people of your age group. You have no idea of the clandestine
meetings similar to those meetings which preceded the birth of "the
friends of VZ" which these elements are attending with the top
leadership of the governing party. They continue to plan and plot my
downfall and the destruction of the IFP.

If we are to build up our support base once again, we will need to
find creative ways of commanding attention and making our message
heard. One of the rich veins we have not yet tapped into is that of
high school learners who will be 18 years old at the next elections.
SADESMO has gained ground in many tertiary institutions, but we have
made no in-roads at high schools. This is a mistake. We need to take
full advantage of students' organizations, linking up with them and
promoting the IFP's message of strong opposition to all that is wrong
in the present system.

The voters of 2014 are in Grades 11 and 12 right now. They are already
aware of the challenge they face when they finish school, because
poverty and high unemployment levels threaten their future. They are
already familiar with social challenges like HIV/Aids, crime and
substance abuse. They already know that housing is a problem, and food
is expensive, and there is too much corruption going on in politics.
They have already been exposed to ANC Youth League slogans and ideas.
At an age when they are most easily influenced, their opinions are
already being formed.

We cannot afford to miss this opportunity to match their ideals to the
sound principles of the IFP right now, hoping instead to change their
minds when they reach tertiary level. We need to reach them now, in
high school, and show them a political home that expresses their
passion, patriotism and concerns. This is the challenge for SADESMO in
the coming year.

We face this challenge in the full awareness that students are
questioning the value of joining the IFP in the light of all the
divisions and ructions we have gone through. We lost several SADESMO
leaders and members to the split in the IFP and some of them defected
to NASMO, believing the NFP to be a better option. When the NFP
climbed into bed with the ANC, several NASMO members wanted to come
home to SADESMO, for they were disenchanted by the truth about the
NFP. They had believed a lie, but their eyes had been opened.
Whenever I sound warning bells, I never do so lightly. When I warned
about "the friends of VZ" and later the NFP being birthed through
funding from some of the top brass of the ANC, I knew what I was
talking about. I had all the evidence. The present coalition between
the ANC and the NFP has proven that what I said was by no means just
sheer idle talk.

We welcomed these people back to SADESMO, for we cannot hold a lapse
of judgment against anyone and leave them out in the cold. We are a
grassroots movement; a movement of the people. We will never exclude
anyone who aligns themselves with the principles and values of the
IFP. But we demand that those who join SADESMO accept the
responsibility of representing the IFP and the IFP's values. Too much
confusion has been sown about SADESMO and NASMO, about the IFP and NFP
and the role of the ANC in fomenting tensions. We cannot expect to
move forward if confusion persists. The Constitution of the IFP
provides that those who return to the Party must be accepted, but that
a cooling off period be observed before they are given positions of
trust again in the Party. Remember what happened with Mr Sikhumbuzo
Khanyeza. Others were opposing his election as chairperson of the
Youth Brigade in the Province, because he had just joined the IFP from
the ANC. Just look back now and think of how right they were about
this gentleman, when we think of how he denied that he was joining the
NFP and the amount of crocodile tears that he shed, as he made these
denials in the NEC.

Confusion is often created on the ground by internal conflicts. The
kind of conflict we are still seeing within SADESMO is not acceptable,
for it threatens the stability and the future of the movement. We
cannot grow in the midst of conflict. Who would want to join an
organization that is riddled with tensions and squabbling? We cannot
offer a political home to students when our message is diluted by our
behaviour. When students look at SADESMO, they need to see the
principle of unity reflected in the unity of our structures and the
cooperation of our members. They need to see a movement that is
functioning well; is disciplined, cohesive and focused on the goal.

In order to create that kind of movement, SADESMO needs sound
leadership. This conference is important to the future of the IFP, for
it is here that you will decide the future of SADESMO. It is here that
you will choose the leaders who can rebuild our students' movement
into a vibrant, unified and focused structure. I urge you to choose
leaders who can work in a team, as part of the team, for the benefit
of the team. This is not the time for lone rangers and status-seekers.
This is the time for leaders who can draw people together around a
common goal.

The leaders you choose today will also represent SADESMO in the IFP's
elective Conference in October this year. They will be responsible for
carrying your mandate to Conference. As you know I was asked by the
National Council, backed by the IFP Women's Brigade, and the IFP Youth
Brigade and the Executive Committee of SADESMO to continue leading the
Party until such time as we may have a smooth leadership transition.
I have neither said yea or nay to that. The ructions created by the
"Friends of VZ" and the treachery of our former National Chairperson
made it impossible for me to step away from leadership, for I could
not abandon our Party to disorder and division. Now that the NFP has
been formed and the Local Government Elections are over, some
commentators think it is time I leave. I would welcome an opportunity
to do so as long as the Party is not wreaked by the interferences from
the ANC's leadership.

Of course, that has been the old refrain for years; that it is time
for Buthelezi to retire. I have tried to retire on two occasions, and
we know that Conference unanimously asked me to remain. Our detractors
like to pretend that I am somehow clinging to power, as though I have
anything to gain at this stage in my life from titles or positions.
This lie that I refuse to leave is painful to hear, for I have
remained at the behest of my Party and have sacrificed the reward of
rest that people my age have earned. When the ANC continues as it is
doing at present, to undermine and destroy the IFP, I have a great
dilemma as to what to do. Should I run away or rather be destroyed
with the IFP? I pray that God finally guides me.

Securing the future requires continuity of leadership. That does not
necessarily mean electing the same people, but it means supporting
people who are committed to upholding the legacy of the IFP. In terms
of this conference of SADESMO, it means choosing leaders who seek to
unify our Party and grow our support base. As the President of the
IFP, I leave it in your hands to ensure continuity of leadership.

I have not yet had the opportunity to thank you in person for the hard
work you performed during this year's Local Government Elections. We
were disappointed with the results, but not with our efforts. Many of
you worked passionately to keep our supporters and to get them out to
vote. For that, I thank you. I hope that you will build on that work
and learn from those experiences as you continue to recruit and
mobilize students to support the IFP in 2014. That is not a task for
some future date. It is the task at hand. I urge you to start now,
become more active and keep going.

We have a lot of ground to make up and a lot of organizing to do. We
have fires to put out, and fires to light. The conflicts and divisions
must be quelled, and a new enthusiasm must be ignited. I know the
difficulty you have faced due to the lack of resources. We feel it
everywhere in the Party. Cost-cutting measures have affected our
reach. But a lack of resources does not affect our message. We cannot
attract students with fancy events and costly festivals. But we can
draw them into debate, get them thinking and show them a political
home that shares their hopes, their concerns and their values.

If, at the same time, we can model a movement that is unified, focused
and undeterred by the fickleness of political fortunes, we will grow
our support base. Our voice of opposition will increase in volume and
strength, and SADESMO will be heard at the vanguard of change in South
Africa. That is where you should be. That is the birthright of the
legacy we have created in the IFP. But you will need to fight hard for
your birthright, for there are those in the ANC and in the NFP and
even in the media who are all too ready to strip it away. By rights,
SADESMO should lead the call for change in our country.

As you emerge from this conference, I pray that SADESMO will be
equipped with the leaders and the mandate to take up this role. I
thank you.