URL: http://www.engineeringnews.co.za
Policy, Law, Economics and Politics - Deepening Democracy through Access to Information This privately-owned website is operated and maintained by Creamer Media
   
Polity
Article by: Sapa
Published: 23 Jan 2008
Give convicts hard labour - IFP
Hard labour for hardened convicts was one of the proposals presented at the launch of the Inkatha Freedom Party's "Purpose, Vision and Values Programme" in Durban on Wednesday.

Addressing the issue of crime in the country, the IFP's Stan Larkan, told the more than 3,000 delegates that "hard labour needs to be introduced." Larkan did not go into detail about the party's hard labour policy, but also said "political interference in the system (police) is rife".

He said that the IFP was against the political appointment of senior police officers as well political appointments to the judiciary. "Working conditions of the judiciary need to be improved and appointments to the bench need to be depoliticised," he said.

"The ANC kid-glove policy has not worked," said Larkan, who is also the current mayor of the uMlalazi Municipality (Eshowe). Larkan pointed out that the IFP would be in favour of tightening up the country's parole policies.

The party's top leaders, including party president Mangosuthu Buthelezi, IFP national chairperson Zanele Magwaza and the party's secretary general Musa Zondi, were present at the conference.

The party has seen its support slowly erode during the past 13 years. Since 2004, the African National Congress (ANC) has been the ruling party in KwaZulu-Natal and the IFP the official opposition.

Magwaza told the delegates that it was "time for South Africa take a fresh direction under the IFP banner." She described the programme as a "significant gear shift for the IFP".

Zondi said the "Purpose, Vision and Values Programme" was a draft document that the party wanted to be debated across the country from "the fishermen of Saldanha Bay to the domestic servants."

He said the country's democracy was under threat and that the ANC "treats opposition parties as traitors". Revealing party's thoughts on economic policy, IFP member of
parliament Narend Singh said the IFP would want to see labour laws changed, making it easier for small businesses to employ people. He said the inability of small business to grow because of the labour laws was inhibiting the country's economic growth.

"The laws are too inflexible," he said, adding that there needed to be a major improvement in the country's infrastructure."Need I tell you about the improvement of power generation," he said to howls of approval.

The IFP was also in favour of improving the country's skills base by recruiting skilled workers from abroad, as well as improving training.IFP member of the Gauteng Legislature, Sibongile Nkomo, told delegates that the ANC was a threat to press freedom and that under ANC rule journalists were being harassed.

Speaking about the controversial floor crossing policy, she said: "It destroys voter confidence in the democratic system."

Moments before details of the IFP's programme were revealed, delegates were surprised when a star from the Generations television soap opera Bawinile "Winnie" Ntshaba emerged on stage to "tell the story of the IFP".

She said:"I am sure that all of you know how the ANC deals with those who oppose it. They kill."

At one stage during the charges, conference members were urged to stand up if the had known of a party member who had been killed in political conflict with the ANC. Apart from journalists and guests, nearly all of the 3,000 delegates stood up, including Buthelezi.