Will incoming IFP president emulate Buthelezi?
THE IFP is aware that its new leader, to be elected at its weekend national conference, it will not get all the leadership qualities of the outgoing president, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, said IFP chief whip in Parliament Narend Singh.
He said the new leader should at least have an understanding of the party’s philosophy and values.
It is widely expected that Velenkosini Hlabisa will become the party’s new leader.
Singh said the IFP hoped that the basic foundation of honesty, integrity, good leadership and the ability to listen to others would be some of the qualities that it would be looking for in a new leader.
Describing Buthelezi, who had announced that he would not be retaining the position he has held since the party’s formation in 1975, Singh said he was a man of integrity and wisdom.
He said the elder statesman possessed honestly, integrity and consistency and was a person you could trust.
Political analyst Bheki Mngomezulu has described Buthelezi as a shrewd politician who understood the rules of the game. He said he had over the years matured as a politician.
“Which is why we saw him controlling emotions in Parliament. I also see someone who is principled and who had not been implicated in wrongdoing that we have seen happening in most political parties,” said Mngomezulu.
He said Buthelezi was also a visionary leader who knew what he wanted to achieve “and finds ways of doing that”.
“But most importantly, I also see him as someone who holds on to what he believes in regardless of any criticism that is levelled at him.
“We have seen this happening when people were criticising him for not leaving the party and a couple of other developments that happened in the IFP. Basically, he stood his ground,” he said.
Mngomezulu also described Buthelezi as an all-rounder who had everything that needed to be seen in a politician “both good and bad”.
During an interview with Independent Media this week, KwaZulu-Natal-based ANC veteran Meshack Radebe described Buthelezi as someone who could offer advice to the ruling party on how it could better lead the country.
Liezl van der Merwe, IFP MP, said that although there was no planned special programme to pay tribute to Buthelezi since this would be the last conference with him at the party’s helm, she thought that perhaps people would as individuals express some words of gratitude.
“I am sure that people will pay tribute in the course of the weekend.
“I am sure that when people deliver political reports, whether the structures or mayors, there might be, but there is no special event planned,” said Van der Merwe.