Former Inkatha Freedom Party chairperson Ziba Jiyane says his new political party, the National Democratic Convention (NDC), will be registered with the Independent Electoral Commission on Monday.
Jiyane, who resigned from the IFP on Thursday after being suspended for bringing the party’s name into disrepute, announced on Saturday his intention to launch his own party within the next two weeks.
”Initially, we will start from a modest position but ultimately our vision is to become the second-biggest party in South Africa and then the number-one party,” said Jiyane.
He said his party will be based on three pillars: the restoration of family values and the fear of God, the deepening of democracy, and a market-based developmental state to attack poverty and unemployment convincingly.
”We have identified a void in the ruling party, which is a lack of a credible moral agenda,” said Jiyane.
He said the NDC will fill that void by an approach to laws and policies that ”proceed the premise that the outcome of any political process must be measured against the objective moral standards that are pro-family values”.
The ruling party has a liberal perspective that is indifferent to the moral outcome of the democratic process.
Jiyane said this comes from a view of secularism that excludes godly values as a desirable public good.
”We think that community values are the starting point of everything we do,” said Jiyane.
He said the NDC will focus on the core moral values shared by all respected religions, such as ”thou shall not steal, thou shall not commit adultery and thou shall respect your parents”.
The NDC’s registration process will be completed on Monday and the party will contest the local government election.
”We are preparing membership cards and will start canvassing members next week.”
Jiyane said when people in the townships in Pongola, Nongoma and on the South Coast heard about his party on Friday, they started celebrating and toyi-toying in the streets.
”A lot of goodwill has been expressed about my party. I hope it will turn into support. Already many IFP executives who carry the mandate of their grassroots members will be announcing that they will join my party … and ANC members,” said Jiyane. — Sapa