Door still open for IFP's 'prodigal daughter'

The door was still open for IFP’s beleaguered national chairperson to reconcile with her party, party president Mangosuthu Buthelezi said on Thursday.

“Even if an opportunity presented itself today to attempt reconciliation, I would be open to exploring it,” said Buthelezi in a statement.

There has been media speculation that Zanele Magwaza-Msibi and her supporters may break away from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) to form their own party.

Buthelezi said misleading articles had emerged since the Pietermaritzburg High Court dismissed Magwaza-Msibi’s application against the party.

Magwaza-Msibi approached the court to stop the IFP from hauling her before a disciplinary committee for failing to distance herself from supporters who campaigned for her to become IFP president.

Buthelezi said reports that he had “effectively disowned” the “party’s prodigal daughter” and that there was no more room to reconcile with Magwaza-Msibi were not correct.

“What I said was that senior IFP leaders had approached Magwaza-Msibi to seek reconciliation, but she was not prepared to entertain the idea. This was her point of view, not mine,” said Buthelezi.

It was also incorrect that Magwaza-Msibi had cut her ties with the IFP, he said.

“The IFP has received no resignation from the national chairperson, nor any other formal communication,” Buthelezi said.

He said Magwaza-Msibi had been notified of her disciplinary hearing scheduled for the 29th of January 2011.

“It has always been the party’s intention to give its national chairperson an opportunity to clear her name through a hearing.

I cannot understand why she is determined to prevent this from happening,” said Buthelezi. - Sapa