Durban — The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has appointed Dr Zweli Mkhize to head a team that will start the healing process with the IFP.
Although the ANC leadership still has to formally announce the names of its negotiating team, senior party members have confirmed to the Daily News that Mkhize has been appointed to head the team to meet the IFP side.
The ANC provincial spokesperson, Mafika Mndebele, told the paper on Tuesday that the team had been assembled and had already made contact with the IFP or Buthelezi through phone calls.
Mndebele, however, refused to divulge the names of the party delegation, saying it would be announced when the time was right.
IFP national spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa also refused to comment, saying the party would not say anything because it had not received official correspondence from the ANC.
Mkhize’s appointment comes after the party leadership in the province agreed to Buthelezi’s plea for a meeting to heal political violence wounds between the two parties.
Mkhize’s close confidante, who asked not to be named, also confirmed his appointment, adding that Buthelezi himself had called him last week and said he was thinking he was going to attend his foundation launch, but later found out he was not on the list of people invited.
The confidante added that inkosi Buthelezi also thanked Mkhize for attending King Misuzulu’s kraal-entering ceremony two weeks ago, saying he was happy as Mkhize had a better understanding of royal matters.
The ANC was said to have included religious leaders and other senior leaders of the party. Mkhize, who was part of the ANC five-a-side team that worked with the IFP delegation to finally bring lasting peace between the two parties in the early ’90s, was said to be enjoying a cordial relationship with the IFP founder.
For Buthelezi, the peace process was not completed since there was no washing of spears and wounds ceremony, which is practised after a war by Africans.
His call, which he publicly made four years ago during his 90th birthday celebration, and on his foundation launch last week, was also backed by political analyst Lukhona Mnguni, who said that although violence between the two parties had long ended, there was still a need for some form of public cleansing and healing of wounds between them.
In its media briefing on Friday, ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo said his party would set up a team to discuss reconciliation, which Buthelezi has been calling for.
Mtolo said the ANC was inspired by his reconciliation gesture and remained convinced that the forebears of this freedom – who never lived long enough to taste the fruits of democracy – were in support of the decision of the ANC in the province to assign a team of elders to hold a dialogue with Buthelezi to discuss his wishes to reunite with the ANC.
Buthelezi said he was encouraged by warm wishes on his 94th birthday from the new ANC leadership, which he described as “unsaying” the bad things the party had said about him in the past, adding he would not want to die before the ceremony was done.
Buthelezi wrote a letter, published by the “Daily News”, where he thanked and praised the ANC for wishing him well on his birthday when he turned 94.
Buthelezi, a former ANC member, seems to be enjoying respect from the ANC national leadership.
Daily News