IFP manifesto summary
Inkatha Freedom Party · 2026 local government elections
Narrow it down to the topics you care about
AI-written summary of the party’s own manifesto. Each point links to its page.
IFP summary on every topic
Housing and title deeds
Water and sanitation
- Ensure access to water, reduce water losses, repair leaks, maintain infrastructure, and support upgrades to treatment systems. p.12
- Prioritise preventative maintenance and timely repair of water and sanitation infrastructure in budgets and operations. p.12
- Establish online, telephone, and ward-based channels for residents to report water issues and track progress. p.12
- Maintain wastewater treatment systems, provide regular refuse collection, and improve waste management in communities. p.13
Electricity and energy
- Municipalities will prioritise preventative maintenance and timely repair of electricity infrastructure in budgets and operations. p.12
- IFP municipalities will maintain municipal electricity distribution infrastructure and repair streetlights and high-mast lighting. p.13
- Commitment to deliver reliable electricity as part of basic services. p.3p.5
Roads and public transport
- Will repair deteriorating municipal roads, bridges, and stormwater systems, and upgrade rural roads to improve mobility and connect communities to services. p.12
Waste and refuse collection
No summary for this topic. Here are the manifesto’s own words instead.
“TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD BY THE HON. VELENKOSINI HLABISA, MP OUR FIVE COMMITMENTS TO YOU TRUST US FOR JOBS Local employment, spaza shops for locals and protected livelihoods. TRUST US TO DELIVER BASIC SERVICES AND WORKING INFRASTRUCTURE Water, sanitation, housing, electricity, roads, street lighting, refuse collection and accessible clinics. TRUST US TO PROTECT TRADITIONAL AND KHOI-SAN INSTITUTIONS AND LEADERSHIP Recognition, practical cooperation and a stronger rural voice. TRUST US TO END CORRUPTION AND MAKE EVERY RAND COUNT Financial discipline and consequences for failure.”View in manifesto (PDF page 3)
“03 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS MANIFESTO 2026 HONOURABLE VELENKOSINI HLABISA, MP PRESIDENT OF THE INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY (IFP) MINISTER OF COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS (COGTA) Dear South Africans, We are listening, and we hear you. South Africa must work for all her people. From Pongola to Pofadder, every street, village, big town, small dorpie and metro must deliver services that protect families, create jobs and restore dignity. Every South African deserves to live in a community where water flows from the tap, the lights stay on, refuse is collected and the streets are safe.”View in manifesto (PDF page 4)
“Building a strong South Africa requires a local-government overhaul, professionalised, capable political leadership, professional administration, sound financial management and coordinated action across government and society. I therefore ask you to partner with the IFP on 4 November. We want to build stronger municipalities that are ethical, capable, financially disciplined and focused on the daily needs of residents. We will work for clean water, reliable electricity, safe roads, repaired potholes, accessible clinics, functioning streetlights, refuse collection, secure livelihoods, protected local businesses and accountable leadership. Trust us to work for you.”View in manifesto (PDF page 5)
Safety and policing
- Conduct multidisciplinary enforcement operations to inspect and close non-compliant enterprises and arrest individuals trading illegally. p.9
- Monitor and prosecute property owners or landlords who front for undocumented foreign nationals. p.9
- Maintain municipal electricity distribution and repair streetlights to enhance safety and support economic activity. p.13
- Encourage investment in gender-based violence and femicide desks, social workers, shelters, and community-safety initiatives. p.25
Jobs and the local economy
- Municipalities must become dynamic economic hubs that prioritise local employment, support local businesses, and protect livelihoods. p.7
- IFP will implement efficient permitting and registration systems for local entrepreneurs to attract development and investment. p.8
- Market stalls will be made available to local vendors by mapping specific zones for business growth. p.8
- Capacity-building workshops for training, mentorship, and business support will be facilitated for entrepreneurs. p.8
- Economic opportunities will be prioritised for local enterprises owned by women, youth, and persons with disabilities. p.24
Rates, tariffs and municipal finance
- Municipalities will prioritise preventative maintenance and timely repair of infrastructure, focusing on water, sanitation, electricity, roads, and refuse collection in budgets and operations. p.12
- Supports reforming local government funding to match responsibilities with sustainable funding, ensuring lawful and efficient use of municipal funds. p.19
- Municipalities will enforce financial discipline, accountability, and consequences for poor management to combat corruption and waste. p.19
- Budgets, tenders, expenditure reports, and performance results will be published in accessible formats for community accountability. p.20
- Municipal procurement will be fair, competitive, cost-effective, and transparent, with contracts monitored for compliance. p.20
Corruption, governance and accountability
- Zero tolerance for corruption with prompt investigations into allegations of fraud and misuse of public resources. p.20
- Councillors and officials responsible for corruption or misconduct will face disciplinary or criminal processes. p.20
- Senior management and municipal employees will be accountable for measurable outcomes and recovery of losses from misconduct. p.20
- Budgets, tenders, and performance results will be published in accessible formats for community accountability. p.20
- Whistle-blowers reporting corruption will be protected from intimidation and retaliation. p.20
Informal settlements and land
- Will identify suitable land and improve municipal planning to support housing programmes and formalise informal settlements. p.12
Support for indigent households
Not addressed in this manifesto.
By-law and municipal law enforcement
- IFP municipalities will conduct multidisciplinary enforcement operations, including inspections and closing non-compliant enterprises. p.9
- IFP municipalities will halt operations of spaza shops and food-handling facilities that do not meet health, safety, and business-registration requirements. p.9
- IFP municipalities will monitor and prosecute property owners or landlords who front for undocumented foreign nationals. p.9
Youth, sport, arts and libraries
- Will invest in libraries and youth agricultural cooperatives, and expand access to bursaries, higher-education registration assistance, internships, and practical training opportunities. p.24
- Will promote skills in artificial intelligence, coding, robotics, digital entrepreneurship, data analytics, and cybersecurity, alongside vocational training and driver’s licence programmes. p.24
- Will build and expand sports complexes, sports fields, and community facilities, including community halls and early-childhood-development centres. p.24