TZANEEN, Limpopo — Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) president Velenkosini Hlabisa has launched the party’s Limpopo manifesto in Tzaneen, pitching job creation, working municipal services and an anti-corruption agenda to voters ahead of the local government elections scheduled for 4 November.
Addressing supporters in Relela, Hlabisa said the party’s goal is a network of “well-functioning municipalities” that deliver services without interruption and create employment — a commitment he said applies as much to Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province as to the country as a whole.
The IFP leader, who is on a nationwide campaign trail, anchored the platform on five pillars:
- Job creation and livelihoods
- Restoring municipal services, with water and sanitation flagged as urgent
- Empowering traditional leadership
- Ending corruption and introducing responsible financial management
- Expanding opportunities for women, young people and persons with disabilities
He also named crime among the issues the party intends to confront at municipal level.
“Stark, painful reality of neglect”
Hlabisa told the crowd that Limpopo holds enormous potential, but that this sits alongside what he called the “stark, painful reality of neglect” in Tzaneen and across the province. He described poverty that holds families back and traps them in cycles of struggle, and pointed to infrastructure “once our pride, now crumbling” under years of mismanagement.
The province, he argued, has strong prospects in agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, trade and small business development, with Tzaneen in particular possessing fertile land, natural attractions and residents and entrepreneurs eager to succeed — all of which, he said, require a municipality that creates an enabling environment rather than an obstacle.
Cutting red tape to unlock jobs
Central to the economic plan is the promise to convert municipalities into hubs of growth by making it simpler for businesses to register, establish themselves, operate and expand. Hlabisa pledged that red tape would be removed in IFP-led municipalities so that registration becomes quicker, arguing that faster approvals translate into more job opportunities — with young people and women, whom he said make up the majority in the hall and in communities, as the primary beneficiaries.
He also said local procurement should be tied to genuine training and employment opportunities, and that informal traders, spaza shop owners, small-scale farmers and community enterprises — which he described as the backbone of local economies — deserve practical assistance, fair treatment and room to grow. Unnecessary administrative delays, confusing procedures and inadequate support must not stand in the way of investors, he said.
On local trade, Hlabisa argued that spaza shops in communities, townships and cities should be run by South Africans rather than foreign nationals, and that municipalities should extend financial support to South African-owned small businesses. He also pledged business training and mentorship aimed at women and young people, assistance in accessing markets, and support for local farmers that includes inputs and equipment where feasible.
Young people, he said, “deserve more than speeches” about their potential and need opportunities to build skills, gain experience and participate meaningfully in the economy.
Traditional leadership to shape development
The party undertook to deepen cooperation between municipalities and locally recognised traditional institutions, ensuring rural communities have a direct say in decisions about their own development. Hlabisa described traditional institutions as a primary form of governance with experience dating back before colonisation, and pledged that municipalities across Limpopo would work hand in glove with traditional leadership.
Merit over political appointments
On accountability, Hlabisa promised transparent procurement and the appointment of officials on merit rather than political deployment, alongside sound financial management in municipal administrations. Public money, he told supporters, “belongs to you” and must be converted into jobs and sustainable service delivery — water, electricity, housing and infrastructure — rather than benefiting individuals or officials. Every rand, he said, must work for residents.
Water and sanitation: “maintenance before crisis”
Dedicating substantial time to basic services, Hlabisa said water and sanitation demand the same urgency as job creation, describing water as essential to life, health, agriculture and economic development. When taps run dry, he said, residents suffer, farmers lose productivity and businesses struggle to operate.
He called for reliable infrastructure, regular maintenance, reduced water losses and investment in treatment and distribution systems, warning that sewage spillages and failing wastewater systems threaten public health, damage the environment and undermine residents’ dignity. Such failures, he said, require competent technical management, proper maintenance and timely intervention.
The IFP’s guiding principle, he added, is maintenance before crisis — repairing and maintaining assets early avoids the higher costs that follow when a system reaches breaking point. Should the party take office, he said, water and sanitation would be prioritised in municipal planning and budgeting, suitably qualified technical personnel would be appointed through fair and transparent processes, and accessible systems would be supported for reporting service delivery failures.
Women, youth and persons with disabilities
Hlabisa said women form the majority in the hall, in communities, in Limpopo and in the country, and argued that empowering women and young people is a condition of making South Africa work. Persons with disabilities would also be empowered, he said, with support for initiatives expanding digital skills, advancing youth development and creating a safer environment for women and vulnerable people, ensuring no one is left behind in the party’s plans.
Track record and the road to November
Defending the party’s suitability to govern, Hlabisa pointed to municipalities under IFP control, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government and the cabinet portfolios the party holds, saying the IFP delivers on time and does not make commitments it cannot fulfil. Leadership, he argued, must be measured by tangible results, the honouring of commitments, and service delivered with integrity, transparency and accountability.
The five commitments made to Limpopo, he said, are the same five made to the country, and would be honoured over the next five years. The party is scheduled to launch its KwaZulu-Natal provincial manifesto on Sunday next week.
Voters speak
Supporters at the rally said they believe the IFP can accelerate service delivery, with one describing the party as working for people and saying residents want to see development, jobs, their children in school and traditional leaders with a say in the everyday operations of government.
Another, speaking in Bolobedu, said it was the first time the party president had visited the area and expressed hope that his visit would bring change — including a clinic that operates around the clock, and attention to road infrastructure and persistent water challenges.
