IFP chairperson Blessed Gwala (left) and IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa.

• The IFP is taking its campaign into ANC strongholds.
• Blessed Gwala, party chairperson, is leading a delegation in Limpopo and North West provinces to garner support.
• The party is also gearing up for its manifesto launch in March.

The Inkatha Freedom Party wants to “strengthen” its support base in two of the ANC’s stronghold provinces before this year’s elections and the party’s manifesto launch in March.

This week, a delegation of the party’s senior leaders, led by IFP chairperson Blessed Gwala, is in North West and Limpopo, where the party leaders will meet with traditional leaders and embark on a membership drive.

Limpopo and North West are ANC strongholds, and this has also been apparent during by-elections where the ruling party continued to receive an overwhelming majority in the two provinces.

At the same time, it lost ground in some areas, mostly losing to the IFP in KwaZulu-Natal.

Speaking in Limpopo last week, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa said he did not doubt that the province is the home of the ruling party and was confident the ANC would achieve more than 80% in the upcoming elections in the province.

However, Gwala told News24 from North West on Tuesday that the IFP is “working every corner of South Africa” to “strengthen the IFP”.

Gwala said the party is still trying to rebuild in these two provinces. “We are thin on the ground [in those provinces], and it is not because of our own making,” he said.

He added: “So we are starting afresh, not because people do not like us.”

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In the 2019 general election, the IFP got just 808 votes from North West while it bagged only 655 in Limpopo. This dropped from 2014 when the party got 1 496 and 1 222 votes in North West and Limpopo, respectively.

Gwala said he had been deployed to the two provinces in the past 12 years, and the party has built structures and branches. “We do have membership. I agree that, for now, we are thin on the ground, but that does not mean we can forget campaigning.

“There are still people who are keen to join the IFP or to vote for the IFP, so that is why we are here with the team of leaders, and we know we are going to gain a number of votes even if we do not take over the government of the day… we will be able to make sure that the IFP is gaining momentum, strength and in order to assist the situation… in this country,” he said. 

He added that other IFP senior leaders had also been deployed in other provinces such as Free State, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape – these are also provinces where the party does not enjoy enough support. 

Gwala said:

He added that the IPF would be represented by all provinces at the party’s manifesto launch in March at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

The IFP is one of three political parties, including the ANC and the EFF, which are going to host their manifesto launches at the stadium.

“We are ready with everything. We have done our policies, and we have developed our manifesto, and are ready to deliver it on 10 March at Moses Mabhida Stadium. I can assure you that all the provinces will be represented, including North West and Limpopo, and will be part of that manifesto launch,” he said.