Mhlaba Memela

Mhlaba Memela

The Inkatha Freedom Party will this weekend debate at its two-day provincial conference at Umzimkulu how to regain political control of KwaZulu-Natal.

This will form a major part of the party's conference to be held tomorrow and on Sunday.

But Protas Madlala, an independent political analyst, said yesterday that the IFP would not have an easy task reclaiming the province from the ANC. He said the party would have to redefine its market.

The IFP said "past developments" in its relationship with the ANC had led to its current quest to regain the province.

IFP national chairman Zanele Magwaza-Msibi said the party noticed the opportunity to reclaim KwaZulu-Natal after winning several municipalities from the ANC in the province.

The ANC-led government in the province last year replaced former IFP MECs Blessed Gwala, Nyanga Ngubane and the disgraced Narend Singh with its own members. In response, the IFP joined forces with other opposition parties, including the Democratic Alliance and the National Democratic Convention (Nadeco) to oust the ANC from key municipalities.

The municipalities are Newcastle, Amajuba in Newcastle and Umhlatuze in Richards Bay.