BY replaying his pre-election game of brinkmanship, IFP=20 leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi appears set to wage a=20 fierce campaign to win local government elections in=20 kwaZulu/Natal and ring concessions from the African=20 National Congress (ANC) in the Constitutional Assembly=20
Buthelezi has clearly kept the initiative over a lame- duck ANC in kwaZulu/Natal by announcing plans to hold a=20 series of izimbizo (mass gatherings of the Zulu nation)=20 in the province in March.
Izimbizo were previously called only with the=20 permission of Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, but these=20 would now be organised by chiefs, giving them access to=20 provincial government funds.
Zwelithini’s spokes-man, Prince Sifiso Zulu, rejected=20 the izimbizo as an attempt by Buthelezi “to usurp the=20 powers” of the monarch.
The izimbizo will be the second phase of Buthe-lezi’s=20 mass mobilisation campaign: he has already travelled=20 the length and breadth of kwaZulu/Natal in the past=20 nine months, holding rallies in both rural and urban=20 areas each weekend to celebrate the IFP’s win in the=20 April poll.
By contrast, ANC kwaZulu/Natal leader Jacob Zuma has=20 not held a single rally in the province — and a=20 promise to the ANC national conference in December that=20 “report-backs” and “people’s forums” will start this=20 year has still not materialised.
This is a clear indication that the ANC has failed to=20 capitalise on the Buthelezi-Zwelithini split — and the=20 chances of capturing the initiative in the months ahead=20 are slim.
Zwelithini is in a similar position: his much-hailed=20 10-point peace plan has failed to get off the ground –=20 and two rallies called by his supporters flopped as the=20 monarch did not turn up in the face of low turn-outs.
Addressing between 150 and 200 traditional leaders in=20 Ulundi last Friday, Buthelezi used his traditional war=20 imagery, calling on every “household” to be “mobilised”=20 for the “continuation of the battle” started at the=20 Convention for a Democratic South Africa (Codesa) in=20
The plan to convene a provincial imbizo on March 11,=20 coupled with smaller ones in other parts of the=20 province, will be the launching-pad for Buthelezi’s=20 “battle” in the run-up to the local government poll –=20 and rather than allow the loss of Zwelithini to be a=20 disadvantage, the IFP leader plans to score maximum=20 points out of it.
With more boldness than before, Buthelezi projected=20 Zwelithini as a traitor in his Friday address — and to=20 strengthen his hand for federalism, he launched=20 scathing attacks on the ANC and central government,=20 accusing them of being bent on destroying the Zulu=20
Buthelezi went as far as to complain to the chiefs that=20 “the ANC dared to boo and howl” IFP leaders in the CA=20 last week — although, observers point out, this is=20 normal parliamentary practise.=20
“We, as representatives of the kingdom of kwaZulu, are=20 faced with the dilemma of how we should react to the=20 string of injuries and insults which have been inferred=20 on the kingdom, on our pride, and the pride of the Zulu=20 nation,” commented Buthelezi.
He also accused “dark forces” from central government=20 of sending Zwelithini into “spiritual exile” and added=20 that the “past few months the kingdom has existed as if=20 we have no king”.
And in an ominous warning to Zwelithini, Buthelezi=20 added: “It is our constitutional responsibility as the=20 amakhosi (chiefs) of the kingdom of kwaZulu/Natal to=20 ensure that at any relevant time our kingdom has a=20
In fulfilling this responsibility, our first option is=20 to devise a path which would enable His Majesty to=20 return to his father’s people …”
Buthelezi did not spell out a second option to ensure=20 kwaZulu/Natal always had a king but there were denials=20 that it could include the replacement of Zwelithini.
“It is not a possibility. He is our king. We have only=20 one king,” said chief Nyanga Ngubane, the kwaZulu/Natal=20 MEC for traditional affairs.
Buthelezi also signalled that he plans to build support=20 for himself amongst traditional leaders in other=20 provinces, saying that the kwaZulu/Natal House of=20 Traditional Leaders “shall mark the path and protection=20 of traditional communities and traditional leaders=20 anywhere else in the country”.
Buthelezi added that “special committees” will be=20 established to “liaise” with traditional leaders=20 countrywide, indicating that Buthelezi hopes to harness=20 support among traditional leaders at odds with ANC- controlled provincial governments in, for instance, the=20 Eastern Cape.
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