The “sun of hope” rose at Durban’s Curries Fountain Ground on Saturday according to former Inkatha Freedom Party chairperson Zanele Magwaza-Msibi, as she officially announced the launch of her new party, the National Freedom Party (NFP).
Over 5 000 people attended the rally launch that was characterised by orange T-shirts, maskanda music and the NFP unveiling its election manifesto, policy discussion document and modus operandi for how the yet-to-be-announced local government elections.
Speakers warming up the crowd suggested that the party was less “new kid on the block” but rather a new ‘powerhouse or Eskom” despite analysts predicting poor electoral fortunes for the party.
Magwaza-Msibi, who had served for over eight successful years as mayor of the Zululand District Municipality, empahised the party’s hands-on, get-tough approach to local government that would provide the bedrock of the party’s election campaign.
10-point plan
She announced a 10-point plan to tackle problems at local government that included:
- Strengthening oversight of the administration of municipalities, their governance capacities and financial systems and controls;
- Creating ‘high performance municipalities” with a zero tolerance on corruption;
- The promise to work towards free basic services for the poor, including water, electricity and refuse removal. There was also a need for more “investment in water sanitation infrastructure” with more transparency in the water service development planning processes at municipal level;
- The establishment of customer care centres to make municipalities more “people centric”.
Magwaza-Msibi also outlined how the NFP would be tackling the drawing up of election candidate lists for the upcoming elections, saying that respective constituencies would have the opportunity to elect potential councillor candidates.
The party was currently run by a steering committee with leadership structures only set to be decided later this year.
“I urge you to be discreet and responsible in electing candidates who hold the moral high ground” and that who would “work with communities”, said Magwaza-Msibi, who added that the party was looking only for “workers” to be elected to office.
With members working around the country, Magwaza-Msibi also unveiled one of her sugar-mommies from Limpopo. Earlier in the day she introduced Mulalo Makhithini, a Thoyandou-based businesswomen who had been recruiting for the NFP in that province, as her “twin-sister” who had donated a new R1,6-million Nissan Patrol as well as R1-million to the party.