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IFP: Mangosuthu Buthelezi: Address bu Inkatha Freedom Party Leader, at the IFP meeting to welcome new members, Truro Hall, Northdale, Pietermaritzburg, (24/05/2015)

Mangosuthu Buthelezi
Mangosuthu Buthelezi

25th May 2015

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The people gathered in this hall have something significant in common. We are
all passionate about making good decisions. Good decisions for our future, good
decisions for our country, and good decisions for our families.

This has brought you to the IFP. I want to commend you for thinking about the
challenges we all face, and for looking for a way that you can make a
difference. Many political parties will tell you what they can do for you. And,
unfortunately, most of it is just hot air. But there is only one party that
offers you the opportunity to become the master of your own destiny; a policy
maker, a history shaper, and an activist for goodwill.

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The IFP has been serving South Africa since 1975. We have been in governance and
in opposition politics. We have worked under apartheid and under democracy. We
have influence at the national level, and in local municipalities. We are
formidable survivors and leaders of integrity. Our principles have remained
uncompromised over 40 years.

One of these principles is the principle of self-help and self-reliance. The IFP
believes in empowering people to change their own circumstances. We believe in
developing skills, opening opportunities, creating partnerships and working
towards a shared vision. Over the years, we have enabled countless individuals
to become part of the development of their communities. We have seen lives
changed and families made stronger.

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Today, as I welcome you to the IFP, I want to tell you a bit about our values. I
know that you have been attracted to the IFP because of what we stand for, and
because we place tremendous importance on being trustworthy, reliable and
honest. Coming as you do from other political folds, it is clear that you are
already interested in politics and in being involved in a political party. What
you have no doubt learnt, is that which political party you choose makes all the
difference.

Not all parties are equal. Yes, we all stand for democracy, freedom, an end to
poverty and unemployment, social justice and human rights. These values are
probably enshrined in every constitution of every political party active in
South Africa. But how we express these values and what priority we give them
differs immensely.

Some parties, for instance, will advocate democracy; but then try to buy your
vote, or manipulate electoral results, or form sudden marriages of convenience
to foist on you a leadership that you didn’t choose through the ballot box. Some
will talk about putting an end to poverty, but will prioritise giving jobs to
pals and enriching ‘tenderpreneurs’. Some will say they champion social justice,
but when it comes to prosecuting criminals or funding NGOs like Rape Crisis
Centres, they are slow to act and can find a million other things to do.

One of the big differences between the IFP and other political parties is where
we stand on corruption. Again, every party talks about corruption. But the proof
is in the pudding. The IFP led the Government of KwaZulu for 19 years under the
dominating fist of apartheid. In all that time, never once was a single
allegation of corruption ever levelled at my administration.

Our Cabinet Ministers, myself included as Chief Minister of KwaZulu, didn’t
receive nearly the kind of salaries that government ministers can expect,
because our administration prioritised service over self-enrichment. The budget
we received to run KwaZulu was smaller than that of any other administration in
South Africa. This was pay-back for my refusal to accept nominal independence
for KwaZulu, which would have left millions of black South Africans without
citizenship.

We knew that we had severely limited resources to work with. When so many were
suffering, it would have been unconscionable for a few to get big salaries. So
we poured ourselves into doing the most we could with what we had, keeping
careful watch over financial administration, and ensuring that every cent
reached the programme it was allocated to.

Now, when I look at the billions of rand’s that vanish every year, in wasteful,
irregular and fruitless expenditure, and the billions that are unaccounted for
because of financial mismanagement and maladministration, I wonder how those in
leadership can dare look you in the eye. The resources available now are
enormous. Much, much more could be done to change the circumstances of our
people.

With hardly anything, the IFP-led government built some 6000 schools in KwaZulu.
Since democracy, with all the vast resources of government available to it, the
ruling party has built but a tiny fraction of that in KwaZulu Natal. So they
might say that they stand for education. But clearly they feel other things are
far more important.

This is where the IFP is different. When we say we believe in accessible,
quality healthcare for all who need it, we mean we are ready to go all the way
to the Constitutional Court for a mother’s right to receive ARVs to prevent
transmitting HIV/Aids to her baby at birth. We actually did that. We rolled out
ARVs across KwaZulu Natal when we led this Province in the first ten years of
democracy, and we went to the Constitutional Court to force national government
to follow suit.

The IFP is always ready to act on our stated principles, because to us they are
more than just words on a piece of paper. For forty years we have lived our
convictions. Did you know that it was the IFP that insisted on a Bill of Rights
in our democratic Constitution? It was also the IFP that insisted on provinces,
to bring the power of governance closer to the people.

Why should you be dictated to from offices in Pretoria? You are the best judge
of what is needed in your community. You should be empowered to design solutions
that meet your specific needs. The IFP values people, not power.

For the IFP, members are not just numbers or votes in the bag. Our members are
deeply involved in the life and work of the Party. We encourage constant
political activism; not in the form of social protests, but in the form of
actions that will mobilise a revolution of goodwill. We encourage acts of
service and expressions of responsibility. That, in fact, is the hallmark of IFP
members. They make a positive difference wherever they go, changing things for
the better.

As you seek your place in this revolution of goodwill, I welcome you to a
political family that values your contribution. We value you; not just for what
you can bring to the Party, but for who you are as an individual. Each of you
has a unique talent, idea or character that will bring value to our family. I
encourage you to make your mark through the IFP.

There is good reason to bring in your friends, colleagues, family and
acquaintances, so that the IFP’s cause will be strengthened. I ask you to speak
to people about your membership of the IFP and let them know what the IFP stands
for. Mobilise support and get a new branch going in your area. As the IFP grows
bigger, our influence over how things are done will expand. The stronger the IFP
in local governance, the more you will see your municipal representatives
walking the talk.

There is much to be done ahead of the 2016 Local Government Elections. In the
year between now and then, let us strengthen the IFP. I welcome you to this
exciting cause, and I welcome you to the IFP family. You have made a good
decision.

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