Inkatha Freedom Party

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP; ) is a right-wing political party in South Africa. Although registered as a national party, it has had only minor electoral success outside its home province of KwaZulu-Natal. Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who served as chief minister of KwaZulu during the Apartheid period, founded the party in 1975 and led it until 2019. He was succeeded as party president in 2019 by Velenkosini Hlabisa. During the first decade of the post-Apartheid period, the IFP received over 90% of its support from ethnic Zulus. Since then, the party has worked to increase its national support by promoting social and economic conservative policies. In the 2019 general election, the IFP came in fourth place nationally, winning 3.38% of the vote and 14 seats in the National Assembly. Policies and ideology Policy proposals of the IFP include: Devolution of power to provincial governments Making the head of state and head of government posts separate, with a ceremonial figurehead as head of state. Mixed-member proportional representation for the National Assembly. Liberalisation of trade Lower income taxes More flexible labour laws Autonomy for traditional African communities and their leaders Allowing traditional authorities to exercise local government functions Opposing the notion that tribalism is inherently regressive and antithetic to development and progress. In 2018, the party issued an official statement, penned by MP, Narend Singh, stating that the time had come to discuss the possibility of reinstating the death penalty in South Africa. Ideologically, the party has been positioned on the right-wing of the spectrum although on its platform the IFP places itself in the political centre ground, stating it rejects "both centralised socialism, as well as harsh anything goes liberalism." The party states that it bases its values on Ubuntu/Botho tribal values and supports a pluralist, shared future for South Africa in which all groups have equal rights. Additionally, the party supports strong law & order policies, in particular calling for harsher penalties for people who commit violence against women and children. The IFP also supports the Zulu monarchy and investing more powers and recognition of the constitutional monarch of the KwaZulu-Natal region.