2012 ELECTIVE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY CLOSING REMARKS BY PRINCE MANGOSUTHU BUTHELEZI MP PRESIDENT OF THE INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY

Ulundi: 16 December 2012

As this 34th elective national conference draws to a close, I am filled with hope for the future. Thank you, colleagues, for coming together with such enthusiasm and for participating in our discussions with honesty, openness and, above all, discipline. That has been the hallmark of the IFP for 37 years. It is what sets us apart from other political parties. We engage robust debate, we give space for disagreement and we embrace a variety of opinions. But the IFP way is to do so with discipline and respect, keeping in mind the good of the Party and the necessity of unity.

This weekend's Conference has given me hope, for I have seen us embrace the blueprint for our Party's stronger future. Thank you, colleagues, for making the Roadmap Strategy the policy of the IFP for a smooth leadership transition. There is no getting around the fact that our Party is entering a time of transition. But I believe we have a clear and strong strategy to achieve it. I am also encouraged by our unanimous adoption of the amendments to our Constitution that create the position of a Deputy President. We have heard the call from our rank and file, and we responded.

I am also pleased with the resolutions which have come out of this Conference, for they prove that the IFP indeed remains the voice of reason in a time of crisis in South Africa. Your intense discussions as you grappled with the issues affecting our country remind us all that the IFP is a home for patriots; a home for the people of goodwill, who want more for our country and have solutions, ideas and proposals that can take us into that better future.

As we leave this venue, we go into the festive season, which will be a brief but much needed rest before we enter 2013. 2013 is the year of challenge, the year of preparations and positioning. It is the year in which we will place the IFP in a strategic position of strength, so that when the general election of 2014 is upon us, we will be ready to run a powerful, well-organised and promising campaign. I urge you to recharge in the coming weeks; not just your bodies but also your spirit, for your passion, energy and goodwill will be needed in the coming year.

In the coming year, we must mobilise as we never have before. We know now that the IFP is back on an upward trajectory. We know that the people of South Africa are asking for the IFP again in numbers. Our support in the by-elections is overwhelming and deeply encouraging. The fact that we won Nkandla should tell us that, whatever comes out of Mangaung in the next few days, South Africa has already turned away from what the ANC has to offer, and is looking again to what the IFP can do to fill the leadership vacuum in our country.

We will not let them down. We have nothing to fear as we move forward on the path of the future. We have never been destroyed; not from outside nor from within. We have faltered, we have had to adjust our course, we have come up against storm after raging storm. But we are still here. We are the formidable survivors that give our opponents sleepless nights. And we are rising again in power, because the time is right for a leadership of integrity to be empowered through the will of the people.

I must sound just one word of caution. I have been disappointed by the lack of effort some people have put in to mobilise growing support and a growing membership base for this Party. In this province, we have seen the ANC's Imvuselelo recruitment campaign, which should leave us in no doubt that we need to increase our own efforts tenfold and more. I don't condemn those who seek leadership positions, but it disappoint me when they forget that none of these positions comes without a great deal of sweat and hard work. That will be required of us all as we go forward. There is no room for a laid back attitude.

First among our priorities now is to recruit members. I have said many times before that elections are a numbers game. The more votes we get, the stronger our position in the political landscape. But we won't get votes if we don't recruit members. I urge you, friends, to set yourselves a goal of recruiting this many people per week, this many per month, and to do it consistently as we approach 2014. We must do this if we are to regain the ground we lost. Let us not accept this misguided notion that a branch of 100 members is all we need. These 100 member branches are our nemesis. They devastated us in the Local Government Elections. So don't stop at 100. Grow, grow, grow our membership.

Branches are of critical importance to our Party. I urge our branches to become far more active. Meet at least once a month, because that is required by our Constitution. Meet to discuss issues of local, district and national importance. Meet to discuss politics and recruitment. Let us be alive to the day to day issues of our Party and our country, within our branches. Let us not forget that KwaZulu Natal was once under the governance of the IFP, through more than one election. That happened because of the dedication of our members. It can happen again.

We have been inspired by our by-election victories and are buoyed on the success of this Conference. For my own part, I am determined to do as much as the Lord gives me strength to do, to carry out the mandate you have given me. I am proud of the vibrant discussions we have held. This Conference has been democracy at work. Thank you for the part that each of you has played. This weekend, we have truly given the lie to the oft repeated phrase: âœthe late IFPâ. We are not the late IFP. We are very much alive. You have seen for yourselves. Now let us show South Africa.

Colleagues, travel safely, enjoy the festive season, and brace yourselves for a whirlwind year of mobilisation, growth and hard work. For that is the future of the IFP.

Date: Sunday, 16 December 2012.

Issued by the IFP, December 16 2012

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter