/ 26 August 2004

IFP stresses family values, ‘fearing God’

On a national tour ahead of the floor-crossing window for councillors, Inkatha Freedom Party national chairperson Ziba Jiyane is stressing its ”centre-right” position and its standpoint on family values.

At a meeting on Thursday, when 44 Sowetans received T-shirts at a prize-giving-like ceremony for having come to the IFP from the New National Party and the African National Congress, he hinted that a number of councillors are considering joining the IFP.

”We shall make an announcement at the right time,” said Jiyane. ”Talking about it now could jeopardise their positions.”

Jiyane, who is also a pastor with the Discipline of Christ Church in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal, said the party, in its ”centre-right” view, calls for the protection of the rights of the community rather than the individual.

On HIV/Aids, he called for abstinence above condoms, saying that people he has counselled said they contracted HIV ”with a condom in their pockets”.

”The problem is uncontrolled passion. Sometimes the kiss will be too nice and there will be no time to put on a condom.”

He said people have to go back to ”fearing God”.

Jiyane also criticised the commercialisation of lobola (dowry), which discourages young people from getting married and starting stable families.

While he defended affirmative action as the only way to avoid a revolution, he criticised the appointment of women with wealthy husbands in jobs above breadwinners.

He said the ”centre-left” approach of the ruling ANC does not see gender issues put into context and that the party is ”killing families in the name of individual rights”.

Jiyane said the IFP wants to appeal to people wanting to strengthen smaller parties, rather than further strengthen the ANC.

”A mature democracy will have two strong forces — a centre-left and a centre-right,” he said.

He added that the IFP will be ”the second bull in the kraal” because South Africa’s second-biggest party will have to be one that garners votes from the black majority, unlike the DA.

Jiyane’s tour proceeds from Gauteng to the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and the Free State. — Sapa