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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DURBAN 000059 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/S - RMARBURG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  10/17/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KDEM SF
SUBJECT: BUTHELEZI PREACHES MORE OF THE SAME AT IFP ANNUAL 
CONFERENCE 
 
REF: DURBAN 54 
 
DURBAN 00000059  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Eugene S. Young, Consul General. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) held its 32nd 
Annual General Conference from October 12-14 in KwaZulu-Natal. 
IFP President Mangosuthu Buthelezi presided over the conference, 
which was attended by over 3,000 delegates.  Buthelezi 
criticized the ANC-led government, and detailed his own party's 
problems, but did little to detail a strategy for the 2009 
elections. A controversy surrounding calls for the establishment 
of an IFP Deputy President dominated the conference.  Buthelezi 
announced that he would step down at the end of his term in 2009 
following general elections.  He would likely stay, however, for 
another term if the party asked him to, and should his health 
hold up, we believe the party will do so.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U)  CG and Pol/EconOff attended the Inkatha Freedom Party's 
(IFP) 32nd Annual General Conference from October 12-14 in 
Ulundi in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).  IFP President Mangosuthu 
Buthelezi presided over the conference, which was attended by 
over 3,000 delegates.  No agenda was released prior to the start 
of the conference, with the understanding that Buthelezi had the 
agenda stored "in his head."  The conference started three hours 
late following a prolonged emergency meeting of the National 
Executive Committee.  Buthelezi called the meeting to deal with 
rumors that the IFP Youth Brigade wished to create the position 
of Deputy President, which is not currently called for in the 
party's constitution, and in order to assist in clarifying the 
IFP succession process. 
 
LEAN, MEAN, ELECTION FIGHTING MACHINE? 
 
¶3. (C) The theme of this year's conference was "Each One's Role 
in a Crisis and the Forthcoming Elections."  Buthelezi detailed 
in an hour-long speech problems with the ANC-led government. 
Buthelezi proclaimed that "corruption has never been as 
rampant," that pro-IFP civil servants have been "purged," and 
that the ANC "has placed the last nail in the coffin of 
provincial autonomy."  Buthelezi also mentioned the suspension 
of Vusi Pikoli, Director of the National Prosecuting Authority, 
as an example of the "mess" in the criminal justice system.  He 
also cited crime, HIV/AIDS, unemployment, and poverty as key 
issues which the ANC has failed to address.  Buthelezi then 
described many of the IFP's faults that had led to the loss of 
support over the past several years.  Buthelezi, however, 
offered few suggestions as to how the party could move forward 
with a coordinated and successful campaign for the 2009 
elections.  Instead, he merely proclaimed that "this is the time 
to become a lean, mean and effective election fighting machine." 
 Yet when the delegates broke into closed sessions, only one of 
eleven groups was told to focus on the formulation of a strategy 
to win back voters. 
 
¶4. (C) While the recent crossing of four ANC members to the IFP 
in two KZN municipalities (see Reftel) has boosted party 
confidence, the short-lived effects of this will be outweighed 
by the party's substantial problems.  The IFP continues to fail 
to attract broad-based support beyond its primary constituents, 
rural Zulus, and in fact has steadily lost ground to the ANC 
even among this core constituency.  Further, since the party 
lost the province in 2004, funding sources have continued to 
decline.  As the ANC now controls the provincial government, 
there is little incentive for private business to donate to 
other parties.  The IFP states that business leaders fear that 
they will lose government contracts if they are publicly seen to 
be IFP supporters. 
 
CONTROVERSY OVER CALLS FOR DEPUTY PRESIDENT 
 
¶5. (C) Prior to the conference, there were widespread media 
reports that dissidents within the IFP would call for the 
establishment of a Deputy President, requiring an amendment to 
the party's constitution.  Reportedly, these dissidents sought 
to push forward potential candidates to succeed Buthelezi 
through this mechanism.  Any speculation concerning the creation 
of a Deputy President was quickly squashed when the conference 
finally opened.  The three leaders most likely to take over from 
Buthelezi - Secretary General Reverend Musa Zondi, National 
Chairperson Zanele Magwaza-Msibi, and National Organizer Albert 
Mncwango - distanced themselves from any such move in individual 
speeches.  All three pledged allegiance to Buthelezi if he were 
to stand again for another term of office.  Acting IFP Young 
Brigade Leader Pat Lebenya-Ntanzi also delivered a statement 
denying claims that the Youth Brigade engaged in any formal or 
informal discussion about a Deputy President. 
 
¶6. (C) Buthelezi cautioned that too many members of his party 
 
DURBAN 00000059  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
are "concerned about leadership issues, and wonder who will be 
succeeding" him, but noted that this will occur only when this 
"Conference tells me that it is time to retire, or when my term 
expires, or when I get run over by the proverbial bus." 
Buthelezi delivered the final blow to any Deputy President 
aspirants, declaring that "I lead my party. I do not follow it! 
This weekend is not an elective conference." 
 
¶7. (C) Professor Christian Msimang, Chairperson of the Political 
Oversight Committee, confided to Pol/EconOff on October 13 that 
there had been "too much fighting" amongst party leaders over 
"issues of leadership."  Although other party leaders present at 
the conference denied any such leadership struggles, Buthelezi 
publicly confirmed infighting in his address, stating that he no 
longer wants "to hear about our leaders promoting themselves 
with our existing constituencies or undermining other leaders." 
Despite the ongoing debate, Secretary General Reverend Zondi 
told CG that there is no succession process.  When Buthelezi 
departs the Presidency, the National Chairperson will be interim 
President until an election is called to decide the next leader. 
 
BUTHELEZI - NOT YET "RUN OVER BY THE PROVERBIAL BUS" 
 
¶8. (C) At 79 years old, an energetic Buthelezi presided over the 
conference until 1:00 AM on the first evening. The following 
morning, he delivered his Presidential Address in two languages, 
English and isiZulu, and stood during a Sotho translation. After 
standing on his feet for three continuous hours, he still 
appeared the picture of perfect health.  Zondi also confirmed 
that Buthelezi was "fit as a fiddle." 
 
¶9. (C) On the final day of the conference, Buthelezi announced 
that he would step down from the post of President after the 
expiration of his term in 2009.  He noted repeatedly throughout 
the conference, however, that he had previously offered his 
resignation in 2004 and 2006, but was "begged" each time by the 
party to stand for another term. 
 
¶10. (C) In many respects, Buthelezi is the sole voice of the 
IFP.  Whether the IFP will survive following his retirement or 
death is unclear.  As he is also the traditional Prime Minister 
of the Zulu Kingdom, he has also historically embodied the 
spirit of Zulu nationalism.  Despite appearing regularly with 
ANC Deputy President Jacob Zuma at events around KZN, Buthelezi 
and the IFP have felt threatened recently by Zuma's emergence as 
a popular Zulu leader. 
 
RHETORIC OF A SLOWLY DYING PARTY 
 
¶11. (C) Buthelezi seemed to indicate during the conference that 
he was aware that his party was slowly fizzling out, noting that 
the IFP is "knocked down, but not knocked out."  Buthelezi 
repeatedly stated that the IFP was working to regain control of 
KZN, but cautioned that "with the resources of State which are 
being used extensively already to campaign for the 2009 
elections by the ANC in the Province, this may be considered a 
tall order." 
 
¶12. (C) Buthelezi may have unwittingly predicted the fate of the 
party in his opening remarks, stating that the IFP's "demise has 
been predicted many times, but we have prevailed and we will 
continue to prevail.  Politics, in the end, is a numbers game. 
We can have the most finely crafted slogans and policies, but 
without votes, we are consigned to irrelevance, and ultimately, 
oblivion." 
 
¶13. (C) COMMENT: For now, the IFP remains a viable voice of 
opposition in KZN in spite of declining power and resources. 
With significant funding problems and no clear election strategy 
it is unlikely that the IFP will win back KZN from the ANC. 
There is no indication, however, that the party would survive 
without charismatic leader Buthelezi at the helm.  While 
Buthelezi announced that he would step down in 2009, he would 
likely stay on once again if the party requested him to stay for 
another term.  Barring a serious deterioration in his health, we 
believe he will be "asked" to stay on by the party.  Even so, 
the party's refusal to discuss a succession strategy is 
short-sighted given Buthelezi's age.  However, Buthelezi may 
believe (and may be correct) that there is currently no clear 
successor amongst the party's top leaders.  Ironically, it is 
Buthelezi's own leadership that has brought the IFP to this 
point where he is, in fact, the indispensable man.  Buthelezi's 
unwillingness to yield authority or to groom successors over the 
years has driven from the party any leaders who could 
successfully transition the IFP into a new era.  As a result, 
 
DURBAN 00000059  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
the party is left with weak senior leaders with little national 
or provincial recognition, whose assumption of power would only 
accelerate the decline of the party.  END COMMENT. 
YOUNG