IFP-LD-ELECTION

Buthelezi calls for accelerated independence drive

ULUNDI July 22 Sapa-AFP

Zulu leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi called on his supporters
Saturday to accelerate KwaZulu-Natal's drive for greater
independence, boosting the prospect of fresh elections in the
violence-torn province.

Addressing more than 2,500 delegates at the party's 20th annual
conference in Ulundi, northern KwaZulu-Natal, the leader of the
Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) criticised the Inkatha
caucus in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature for not doing enough to
bring the province under its control.

The IFP holds a narrow one-seat majority in the legislature and
dominates the provincial cabinet, but a vociferous ANC opposition
has blocked IFP attempts to implement its policy in the region.

Buthelezi, who is internal affairs minister of South Africa's
Government of National Unity, said that the party was unlikely to
get the two-thirds majority in the legislature necessary to pass a
new provincial constitution.

"It might be that we are left with no option but to go back to
the people for a fresh mandate and to increase our majority in
KwaZulu-Natal so that we can secure a constitution for this
province or lose the entire stake in this gamble. This is the time
of final and bold decisions," Buthelezi said.

Two weeks ago, the ANC's KwaZulu-Natal leader and national
Chairman Jacob Zuma also called on his party to consider calling
for fresh provincial elections.

The ANC is hoping to oust the IFP altogether in such a poll.

Earlier this year, Inkatha's leadership gave its provincial
representatives a mandate to use their majority and take
"political, legislative and constitutional initiative" to boost the
province's autonomy and "brake the ANC's grip on power."

However, the ANC still wielded political power in the province
and the provincial parliament has adopted only one piece of
legislation that fostered IFP policies, Buthelezi said.

He warned that the IFP had only 12 months to complete the
drafting of a new provincial constitution that would bring about a
more autonomous region.

The pressure is on the IFP to secure its power base in the
province before the ANC-dominated Constitutional Assembly in Cape
Town completes a new national constitution that is likely to
reflect ANC policies for a unitary South Africa.

"In less than 12 months our legislative powers may be taken
away," Buthelezi warned, saying that in a "small window of
opportunity" this assembly "was to establish preliminary structural
legislation."

A new provincial constitution drafted with the IFP in control
would resolve the questions of the form of government, the capital
- which IFP wants in Ulundi instead of Pietermaritzburg - and the
monarchy for which it wants greater powers.

Most other major parties sent representatives to the congress
and were given an opportunity to address the delegates. However the
ANC was not invited, according to senior IFP sources.