SUMMARY
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) predecessor, "Inkatha", was already established as a cultural movement in 1928 to raise public support for the ancient Zulu monarchy. This died out in the 1930s but was resurrected again in 1975, under the name “Inkatha National Cultural Liberation Movement”. This time its stated goals were to liberate South Africa from white domination under the racially discriminating political system of apartheid, which was enforced by the Government of South Africa and create a base for the cause of Zulu self-determination. The IFP emerged to fulfill the void left by the banning of notable liberation groups, the ANC and PAC, in South Africa and it formally transitioned into a political party in July 1990, when it adopted the name IFP. It became part of the Government of South Africa when it won 43 seats in the 1994 elections.
Although the IFP sought liberation from the apartheid regime in South Africa, it differed from the most prominent black liberation movement, the ANC, by having a regional and tribal focus on its traditional territories in and around the Natal where the Zulu tribe was concentrated. Essentially a traditional and conservative group, the IFP took a principled yet pragmatic opposition to the use of force by seeking to work against the apartheid system from within. Therefore, it embraced the homelands system of apartheid that designated specific territorial areas to black South Africans for self-governance and sought to eventually remove all black Africans from South Africa by granting these areas independence. The IFP strategy aimed to maximize its influence on the government by becoming an opposition force too strong to be ignored; hence the IFP gained political control of the Kwazulu homeland through the homeland system and used this platform to actively oppose its independence. Economic opportunities for black Africans was also a key point in the IFP ideology, which it supported by advocating a free market economy.
Kwazulu homeland and the surrounding area of Natal province was the main area of operations of the IFP. The organization was based in Ulundi, the former capital of the Zulu homeland. Membership of the IFP was originally limited to Zulus or those of whom were citizens of Kwazulu Natal, the area considered the homeland of the Zulu ethnic group but this widened in the 1980s to accept all black South Africans before widening again to accept all, regardless of skin color. Nevertheless, the IFP remained an ethnically black, Zulu-dominated organization during the 1990s. Several of the founding members of IFP were from the developing urban middle class and had been part of the ANC previously. The IFP often recruited members at their rallies and in 1985, the IFP had 1 million members. By the end of the eighties, it had reportedly 1.5 million members with 600,000 in its Youth League and 500,000 in its Women’s League. However, the IFP also forcibly recruited members using intimidation and violence or rewards. For example, in rural areas the chiefs and indunas played a large role. They could force people to join IFP as a return for past favors given years before with the alternative of obeying or leaving the area or being killed. Supporters were also gained by using the IFP’s influence and resources as the ruling party of Kwazulu homeland, which it gained control over in the 1980s.
Despite being ideologically opposed to the use of armed force in the struggle against apartheid, the IFP used armed force to enforce its political strategies and protect its control over Kwazulu homeland and the surrounding areas. As the organization in charge of the administration of Kwazulu homeland, the IFP formed the Kwazulu Police to keep order in the homeland in 1981. These were formally a branch of the government police force but were under the control of the IFP and they were known for their brutality and targeting of areas dominated by non-IFP supporters. It also developed local, armed vigilante groups called Special Protection Units and provided protection to local gangs in exchange for their targeting of opposition members or sympathizers such as the Khumalo gang. The IFP also had covert hit squads such as the Esikhawini hit squad, which comprised of IFP members and senior IFP figures including some within the Kwazulu governing administration as well as members from the Kwazulu Police. Members of these hit squads were trained in Caprivi, Namibia and executed targeted attacks on civilians, mainly ANC supporters with the aid of access to government resources
Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi was the principle founder and leader of the IFP. A descendant of the Zulu monarchy and chief minister of the KwaZulu homeland administration, Buthelezi held tight and centralized control over all aspects of the IFP. Previously, Buthelezi had been a member of the ANC Youth League and expelled from university due to his associated activism. He had founded the IFP with the tacit support of the ANC whilst it was in exile and it was hoped to be a form of ANC presence in South Africa. However, Buthelezi fundamentally disagreed with some ANC ideology and decisions; specifically its adoption of armed violence as a tactic, its leftist leanings and use of sanctions, which he considered as harmful to the black Africans the most. This led to the distinction between the IFP and ANC orientation and strategies, which Buthelezi pronounced in 1979. In 1994, IFP joined the Government of South Africa as part of the ANC-led government of national unity and Buthelezi served as Minister of Home Affairs. In 2011, the National Freedom Party splintered from the IFP political party.
Despite being an opposition group, the IFP received secondary support from the Government of South Africa to fight against other opposition groups in South Africa such as the ANC and the United Democratic Front (UDF). Support included resources and military training in Caprivi, Namibia for its hit squads as part of “Operation Marion” as well as collaboration between Government security forces and the armed elements of the IFP to cover up attacks carried out by the group.
