Reconciliation of ANC and IFP will benefit KZN

RECONCILIATION between the ANC and IFP will finally eliminate the possibility of a re-emergence of political violence in KwaZulu-Natal and set the province on a sustainable economic growth trajectory.

The reconciliation will be good for economic growth and the creation of a unified province that can attract foreign investment.

Speaking at the launch of the Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi Foundation in Durban last week, the IFP president emeritus Mangosuthu Buthelezi said he was optimistic that his party and the ANC can heal the wounds of the past by embracing the path to reconciliation. Buthelezi’s comment comes after the KwaZulu-Natal ANC issued a statement to the media wishing Buthelezi well on his 94th birthday.

On Friday, the ANC replied to Buthelezi’s reconciliation plea by announcing that it had set up a team of party elders to have a dialogue with the IFP founder regarding his reconciliation gesture.

However, political observers are wondering what the reconciliation talks could achieve since political violence that rocked the province in the late 1980s and early 1990s is now a thing of the past.

We believe that the symbolic nature of Buthelezi’s wishes is very significant. If reconciliation between the two biggest parties in KZN is achieved, it will help to close the wounds of those who lost relatives and friends during the volatile period.

It will also assist in ensuring that the bloody period in the country’s history is dealt with and the existing tensions are completely eliminated.

Perhaps the most significant victory would be the emergence of a united, peaceful and stable province which is conducive to economic growth and much-needed investment opportunities.

There is no doubt that the residents of KwaZulu-Natal – irrespective of their political leanings – are yearning for jobs, shelter, water, electricity and an improved standard of living.

They also want a country and a province that refuses to live in the past, but deals directly with the current challenges of crime, corruption and underdevelopment.

If Buthelezi’s gesture of reconciliation can help the province achieve these things, the people of South Africa will give this initiative a chance.