PRINCE BUTHELEZI EMBRACES THE IFP YOUTH

IN AN insightful piece titled “The president’s ticket of new hope to be measured in a by-election” (The Mercury, October 2), Imraan Buccus reflects on the resurgent IFP ahead of a recent by-election in Chatsworth, Durban, which saw the party increasing its votes twelve-fold.

He credits the IFP’s resurgence to an “increasingly youthful Buthelezi” whose campaigning, according to Buccus, would leave the “once-thunderous Robert Mugabe in the shadows”.

It’s fascinating that when analysts have nothing negative to say about Buthelezi, they feel the need to mention his age and make a comparison with Mugabe, despite the two having nothing in common.

It’s true that Buthelezi would leave most people his age in his shadow. I am sure he could even give the new Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Bin Mohamad, 93, a run for his money.

But the fact is that Buthelezi is streaks ahead of people half his age.

I would know. As a young MP in the IFP’s Caucus, I know that Buthelezi’s schedule is punishing and that none of us can keep up.

Reflecting on how far the IFP has come in reclaiming lost ground, Buccus rightly points out that the “ANC was not blameless in the IFPs decline” due to its support for the NFP. But then he makes the baseless claim that an “ageing Buthelezi, appeared not to want to give way to a younger generation and the party’s electoral fortunes withered.”

That argument just doesn’t hold up. The IFP’s resurgence is not only due to the leadership of Prince Buthelezi, but also due to the fact that he has groomed and allowed talented young people to flourish and occupy positions of power.

| IFP MP