The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) is marking its 50th anniversary this weekend. Founded by the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi on 21 March 1975, it was initially called the Inkatha National Cultural Liberation Movement, or Inkatha yeNkululeko yeSizwe.
Following the first democratic elections in 1994, the IFP became part of the Government of National Unity under former President Nelson Mandela.
The party says it’s expecting 30 000 supporters to attend the celebrations at the Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi Stadium in Ulundi, KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday.
The IFP originally drew its name from Inkatha kaZulu, the Zulu National Congress founded by Buthelezi’s uncle- King Solomon kaDinuzulu – in 1928.
IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa says the party plans to honour those who played a critical role in its formation and survival.
“We will be laying a wreath at the tombstone of the late Archbishop Alpheus Zulu who presided over the meeting at KwaNzimela on the 21st of March 1975. In the morning of Sunday, the 23rd of March, we will also lay a wreath at the grave site of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi who led this party diligently, who led it with resilience.”
“He gave it the strength of character to meet the challenges of the apartheid regime. And to ensure that we found the IFP ready to participate in the democratic and free dispensation in 1994,” adds Hlengwa.
The party is currently the 5th largest in the National Assembly and leads the government of provincial unity in KwaZulu-Natal.
In 2019, the party’s former secretary general Velenkosini Hlabisa took over the reins from Prince Buthelezi.
The IFP currently has two ministers and two deputies in the 7th administration.
Hlengwa elaborates on the events to kickstart the party’s events this weekend. “We are having the national prayer day … thanksgiving for the long journey that the IFP has traversed over the past 50 years. That service will be at KwaNzimela just outside Melmoth in northern KwaZulu-Natal.”
“We will proceed on Sunday the 23rd of March, to Ulundi at the Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi Regional stadium where we will be having a rally to celebrate this milestone. We are expecting some over 30.000 people to join us.”
