Inkatha Freedom Party Youth Brigade
Press Conference: Tuesday, 08 December 2015
IFP Head Office, Durban
Media Statement:
Preparations Of The IFPYB 32nd National General Conference
On behalf of the IFP Youth Brigade I wish to thank the members of the media present today for joining us as we present our plans and preparations for the IFPYB 32nd National General Conference.
The term of office of the current national office bearers comes to an end in 2015; and thus the upcoming National General Conference is also an elective conference.
The Conference has been scheduled for 11-13 December 2015 in Ulundi, and should comprise some 2300 delegates from across the country representing the various structures, in the main branches.
The process of auditing branches has been duly concluded, and the Election Management Commission is ready to conduct election of NEC.
The organisational and political reports are ready for presentation to the Conference.
I however wish to announce that due to circumstances beyond our control we have had to postpone the Conference to 29-31 January 2016.
The main reason for the postponement is the ongoing water crisis in the country.
Two weeks ago we were advised by our Ulundi Office and other stakeholders that Ulundi is experiencing severe water shortages which make it logistically impossible to hold a conference of this magnitude under those conditions.
We have since then been engaged in a process of seeking an alternative venue and our efforts have been unsuccessful; up to late last night and for the greater part of this morning the NEC was still seized with securing a venue.
This has not been a decision we have taken lightly, but circumstances have dictated to us that this is the only logical conclusion to this logistical impasse.
I wish to stress that whilst it has become a political convention for conferences to be postponed for internal political expediency, our postponement has been brought about by the water crisis.
Whatever water is available in Ulundi should be prioritised for its residents especially during this time of the year when people are headed home for the festive season, and therefore we cannot in good faith exert further strain, and compound matters, to an already dire and desperate situation.
We are in the process with Party Administration of making concrete plans to ensure that the Conference sits without further delay.
A Special meeting of the National Council of the Youth Brigade is being scheduled to sit before the end of the year to formally engage further the broader leadership collective of the IFP Youth Brigade of this situation and to among other matters continue our engagement with further specific programmes related to the forthcoming Local Government Elections.
We will announce final plans once we have concluded the necessary internal Party consultations.
In conclusion, we wish to encourage our structures to focus on the campaign processes for the 2016 Local Government Elections and continue building on the recent gains of the Party in by-elections and take-over of municipalities.
I thank-you!
For further information, please contact:
MKHULEKO HLENGWA MP
IFP Youth Brigade National Chairperson
076 521 3221
