Thami Ntuli and Velenkosini Hlabisa expected to square off as IFP prepares for conference

Durban — As the IFP fine tunes its election strategy before the 2026 local polls, the party is also racing to hold its conferences before the end of the year.

The outstanding conferences, including its national conference, are expected to pit party president Velenkosini Hlabisa against provincial chairperson and Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli.

The extended meeting of the IFP’s national council in Empangeni which ended on Saturday, tasked the national executive committee (NEC) and national council to develop and finalise the party’s roadmap for the conferences by the end of the month.

The meeting also resolved to:

• Endorse the proposal for the audit process of all inaugurated branches.
• Noted that branches are the basic unit of party mobilisation, it is directed that membership drive and branch inauguration is a continuous party activity.
• Called on the party’s National Campaign Committee (NCC) to give support to the IFP structures in reviewing IFP electoral performance, to effect proactive and reactive corrective action to improve party mobilisation.

This will be the first time the IFP holds an elective conference without its long-time founder and leader, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who died in September last year.

Hlabisa, who took over the reins of the party from Buthelezi in 2019, was always seen as Buthelezi’s preferred candidate. However, he has been facing growing opposition from a section of Ntuli’s loyal backers in the province.

Durban-based political analyst Thobani Zikalala said he expected a fierce contest between Ntuli and Hlabisa if they both challenged for the top post.

He warned that the contest could deepen the alleged divisions in the IFP between Ntuli and Hlabisa supporters. The two have repeatedly refuted allegations of a rift between them.

“It is also interesting that the party will be going to the elective conference without its founder, Prince Mangosuthu. This will be the IFP’s biggest test in terms of how the party would contain the possible factions that might crop up due to the leadership contest,” said Zikalala.

He added that holding the national conference might bode well for the party in terms of displaying that there was internal democracy.

“But if this is not well managed, it could backfire for the IFP ahead of the 2026 local government elections,” he warned.

The extended meeting included the IFP provincial executive committees (PECs), district executive committees (DECs), constituency executive committees and all public representatives.

Among the resolutions adopted were that the IFP must not lose its identity in the GNU, “and must aggressively pursue IFP policies and the 2024 Manifesto in the GNU’s Basic Minimum Programme of Priorities, as espoused in the Medium-Term Development Plan (of) the 7th Administration,” said the party in a statement.

Ntuli was elected as premier as part of the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) deal in KZN after the province failed to get an outright winner during the May elections, while Hlabisa was deployed as Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the Government of National Unity (GNU).

The IFP, which shed some power after the formation of its splinter party, the NFP in 2011, has been on a winning streak in a series of by-elections in KZN. The party even dislodged the struggling ANC in some wards - including Madlankala near Richards Bay, north of KZN.

After putting up a spirited fight during the 2016 local polls, the IFP won several municipalities in KZN - including the City of Umhlathuze (Richards Bay). The party is also at the helm of the King Cetshwayo District Municipality, Ulundi Municipality, Umhlabuyalingana Municipality and Nkandla. Umlalazi, Jozini CSC (Bronze) and Endumeni Municipality are also led by the IFP.

Meanwhile, the IFP is also preparing for the party’s 50th anniversary next year.

The Daily News approached IFP spokesperson, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, for comment but he did not respond by the time of going to print.

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