IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi has conceded that his party is cash-strapped and described its financial status as "unfortunate"
The IFP suffered a huge blow during the May 18 local government elections when it lost many councillors and municipalities, especially in KwaZulu-Natal.
Before the elections the IFP controlled 32 of the province's 61 municipalities. It now remains with only two.
While Buthelezi did not go into detail about the exact state of the IFP's finances, it has been reported the party began retrenching office staff last month as a cost-cutting measure.
The party is also said to be selling some of its assets as it closes some of its regional offices - which head of administration Otto Kunene described as a "norm in any organisation".
Buthelezi challenged Sadesmo, an IFP-aligned students movement, to tap into high school pupils by encouraging them to join the party, as this could bolster their chances in the next national elections, and ultimately their coffers.
"If we are to build up our support base once again, we will need to find creative ways of commanding attention and making our message heard," he said, adding that the party needed to tap into high school pupils who would be 18 years of age in 2014.
Sadesmo had gained ground at many tertiary institutions, but not at high schools, he said.
Cash-strapped IFP aims to draw on pupils
IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi has conceded that his party is cash-strapped and described its financial status as "unfortunate"
The IFP suffered a huge blow during the May 18 local government elections when it lost many councillors and municipalities, especially in KwaZulu-Natal.
Before the elections the IFP controlled 32 of the province's 61 municipalities. It now remains with only two.
While Buthelezi did not go into detail about the exact state of the IFP's finances, it has been reported the party began retrenching office staff last month as a cost-cutting measure.
The party is also said to be selling some of its assets as it closes some of its regional offices - which head of administration Otto Kunene described as a "norm in any organisation".
Buthelezi challenged Sadesmo, an IFP-aligned students movement, to tap into high school pupils by encouraging them to join the party, as this could bolster their chances in the next national elections, and ultimately their coffers.
"If we are to build up our support base once again, we will need to find creative ways of commanding attention and making our message heard," he said, adding that the party needed to tap into high school pupils who would be 18 years of age in 2014.
Sadesmo had gained ground at many tertiary institutions, but not at high schools, he said.
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