‘No one can capture traditional leaders,’ says Hlabisa - TimesLIVE
Inkatha Freedom Party leader Velenkosini Hlabisa says it is impossible for anyone to capture traditional leaders and the Zulu royal household.
Hlabisa was responding to a question posed at the elections debate hosted by Arena Holdings on Thursday, asking him to explain how the uMkhonto weSizwe party is seemingly making inroads and winning over the support of the traditional leaders in KwaZulu-Natal.
However, Hlabisa rejected this, insisting that the traditional authorities govern and preside over all subjects and citizenry of the country.
“All I’m aware of is that people will be surprised with the results of eThekwini. We’ve fielded a young person with a lot of experience, and we are doing the groundwork. We will prove the polls wrong.”
Recent polls suggest that the MK party is in pole position to take over the hotly contested eThekwini municipality, with questions about the influence of traditional leaders in party political support.
The IFP leader said it was impossible to cosy up to traditional leaders in the hope of winning elections.
“The Zulu royal household has played an important role in the political dynamic in the country. The IFP is well experienced when it comes to royal household politics. We have seen it for quite a long time and we know that the royal household is above politics. Anyone who would think or try to capture the royal household is missing the point.”
The people of KwaZulu-Natal are free to think beyond one political party. They are free, they respect the royal household, but are able to think beyond the household of the royal Zulu king
Asked to reflect on the question of ethnic mobilisation and whether it has the ability to potentially influence who governs in KwaZulu-Natal, Hlabisa insisted that the people of the province had the freedom to associate with whomever.
“The people of KwaZulu-Natal are free to think beyond one political party. They are free, they respect the royal household, but are able to think beyond the household of the royal Zulu king.
“I wouldn’t want to drag the king into politics because we are all subjects of the king, all political parties. The political parties have all gone to pay their respects to the king, to demonstrate that the king is above politics and no one can capture the king.”
Hlabisa, who serves in cabinet as the minister of co-operative governance & traditional affairs (Cogta), was probed on the Ingonyama Trust and its land and why he has not developed an economic policy that would push for growth in the province.
“I am a national leader and minister responsible for nine provinces. We will be adopting a wrong precedent to minimise the minister of Cogta to one province. The Ingonyama Trust is not just large parts of land; it is a small portion in KZN and the larger parts are not under the trust. I am responsible for the whole country.”
