Siyabonga Hadebe
On the launch of the get together’s election manifesto in Durban final weekend, information headlines highlighted that the IFP “invokes the reminiscence of Mangosuthu Buthelezi”.
Nonetheless, they primarily targeted on T- shirts, berets, automobile stickers, flags and banners displayed on the stadium tiers. Undoubtedly, the IFP seems to be a celebration related to a lifeless man: it continues to grapple with overcoming the late Buthelezi’s dominant genome ingrained in its DNA.
The IFP’s message has been unambiguous. In its marketing campaign manifesto, launched earlier than the Could elections, it pledged to prioritise locals over foreigners as a technique to deal with unemployment.
The IFP solely received 3% of the vote within the final nationwide elections in 2019. Whereas eradicating the ANC from energy solely seems a bit formidable at this level, this relic of Bantustanism has a purpose to consider.
It has seen an upsurge in assist, successful management of numerous municipalities in KZN.
To attain its ambition, the IFP depends on an unfamiliar template, which I time period silhouette politics.
Silhouette politics is a technique of leveraging symbolic representations reasonably than substantive insurance policies, implying a deal with nostalgia or conventional ties throughout the get together’s method.
It’s also a type of political manipulation or exploitation that evokes imagery of utilizing familial and neighborhood connections to revive previous political figures or ideologies.
The IFP’s technique entails resurrecting a lifeless man from his grave: it can not transfer ahead and supply different options. Though the get together claims nationwide credentials, it nonetheless closely is dependent upon Buthelezi’s legacy of ethnic nationalism to attract assist, particularly within the KwaZulu Bantustan.
Buthelezi’s picture seems alongside that of its present chief, Velenkosini Hlabisa, on its election posters and T-shirts.
This 12 months’s marketing campaign slogan is “Do it for Shenge”, referencing the late chief.
The cadaver is exhumed, and the lifeless man’s reminiscence is stored alive via no matter means doable.
This method entails two strategies. Firstly, Hlabisa has been president of the IFP since 2019 however beneath Buthelezi’s shadow. The approaching election would be the first through which the IFP will compete with out its founding chief, a minimum of in particular person. Buthelezi’s picture seems in its promotional supplies, and his silhouette ensures that the IFP will ceaselessly wrestle to determine a definite id.
Buthelezi led the IFP from its founding in 1975 till 2019 when he stepped down. Throughout his tenure, the IFP’s supporters clashed violently with ANC supporters in KZN and Gauteng. With the help of the apartheid authorities, Buthelezi’s identify grew to become intertwined with the low-scale civil warfare, the affect of which continues to be evident all through the province. Curiously, each the ANC and the IFP haven’t spoken loud sufficient towards ongoing politically-linked killings in KZN.
Maybe embedding Buthelezi’s picture advantages Hlabisa, who doesn’t must shoulder his predecessor’s chequered legacy. On the similar time, he’s nonetheless not able to create his political picture, and that is evident within the get together’s resolution to characteristic the deceased as its face on this 12 months’s elections.
This implies Buthelezi’s silhouette hovers above Hlabisa’s head, and the IFP seems content material with this.
In previous elections, the IFP’s long-standing political slogan has been “indoda ongayethemba” (a reliable man). This message boldly emphasised Buthelezi’s centrality to the IFP’s existence and outlook. Not too long ago, this slogan transitioned into “belief us” that includes Buthelezi’s silhouette alongside Hlabisa.
For its members, it seems that they aren’t even conscious that they’re being requested to place their belief in a deceased particular person to navigate their political futures.
Going ahead, observing how the IFP offers with the prevalence of Buthelezi’s mirror-like Ayatollah Khomeini supreme chief standing might be intriguing. This commentary turns into extra thought-provoking, contemplating the get together’s revival of its late chief’s silhouette via his household.
The IFP’s reliance on silhouette politics, which additionally entails drawing in relations to uphold Buthelezi’s posthumous affect, highlights the get together’s standing as a household enterprise bereft of democracy.
It stays loyal to its tribal heritage: the IFP is a kraal of the Buthelezi clan reasonably than a political get together – a weak spot characterising different black events in post-apartheid South Africa.
Firstly, it’s reported that late Buthelezi’s kids prominently characteristic within the IFP nationwide lists for the 2024 elections. At 68 years outdated, Zuzifa Buthulezi is positioned at a major place (#7) on their nationwide candidate checklist: he may get pleasure from his nap alongside different notable ‘sleepists’.
This transfer, undermining democratic rules, suggests the get together is prepared to go to nice lengths to capitalise on its late chief’s legacy, even when it means prioritising the supreme chief’s kin forward of its members.
Zuzifa Buthulezi has not upset in affirming the silhouette gameplay. He asserted that the Buthelezi household stays dedicated to the IFP and has no intention of severing ties with the get together established by their father. He additionally emphasised their readiness to collaborate intently with the get together’s endeavours. The get together’s rally was extra like a Buthelezi household gathering than a political occasion.
Secondly, Buthelezi’s legacy appears to resonate past the confines of the IFP and his household.
Proof suggests figures on the other facet of the political spectrum even respect his silhouette.
Ethnic-based political ideologies are more and more dominating democratic South African skies. Like in the remainder of the continent, the politicisation of ethnicity and its affect on political workplace pursuit, electoral contests and governance fashions guarantees to outline South African politics going ahead.
The persistence of ethnic politics poses a substantial problem for a lot of African nations.
In accordance with quite a few students, integrating ethnic-based political ideologies into the mainstream might hinder the illustration of the plenty. Ethnic politics could also be an attractive technique for leaders aiming to take care of energy by leveraging emotional appeals and useful resource manipulation, usually with out fostering real debate or including worth.
The affect of colonial and apartheid legacies, corresponding to language ideology, tribal politics in Bantustans, and deep-seated racial inequalities, is proving fairly heavy for post-apartheid South Africa. Ethnic politics, a legacy of Buthelezi’s, is proving fairly useful not only for the IFP but additionally for different events like Bantu Holomisa’s UDM rooted within the Transkei and Bongani Baloyi’s Xiluba Get together in Gazankulu.
The ANC nurtured Buthelezi’s ethnic politics within the post-1994 period by treating him as an eminent particular person and acceding to his calls for in creating KZN. This implies the IFP doesn’t have to be in energy to exert its affect: Buthelezi’s silhouette nonetheless underlines right now’s politics. All political events additionally embrace ethnic politics in a single kind or one other.
Nonetheless, the IFP appears reluctant to adapt its technique, persevering with to depend on ethnic politics regardless of the emergence of rivals.
Sadly, the IFP now not holds a monopoly on ethnic-identity politics, because the MK Get together seems to be making an attempt to capitalise on Buthelezi’s legacy within the province. Latest polls point out that the MK Get together can be poised to erode the IFP’s stronghold. Nonetheless, one factor is definite: Buthelezi’s chequered legacy lives on, and this shall proceed for a few years to come back.
The IFP should get up to the truth that it has no mental property to ethnic politics in South Africa.
South African political events are predominantly caught up in ethnic-based political ideologies, usually prioritising a superficial method of filling stadiums over addressing social justice and emancipation.
General, South African political events, together with the IFP, should reassess their priorities and transfer past ethnic-based politics to handle urgent societal points.
Hadebe is an impartial commentator on socio-economic, political and international issues.
