IFP Targets eThekwini With No-Bail Rape Policy and Illegal Immigration Crackdown

• IFP President Velenkosini Hlabisa made gender-based violence central to the party's eThekwini election campaign at the manifesto launch in Durban
• Hlabisa called for bail to be denied to rape accused throughout their trials and for mandatory life sentences without parole upon conviction
• Mayoral candidate Mkhuleko Hlengwa pledged to use intergovernmental relations to deport undocumented foreign nationals if the IFP wins eThekwini

KWAZULU-NATAL — The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has unveiled the two defining priorities of its campaign to govern eThekwini Municipality in the November 2026 Local Government Elections: an uncompromising stance on gender-based violence and a commitment to removing undocumented foreign nationals from the city.

According to SABC News, IFP President Velenkosini Hlabisa addressed supporters at the party's manifesto launch in Durban, placing women's safety at the heart of the eThekwini bid. He called for accused rapists to be held without bail for the duration of their trials, and for life sentences without the possibility of parole to be imposed on those convicted.

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IFP's take on gender-based violence

Hlabisa characterised perpetrators of sexual violence and murder as "monsters in our society," arguing that their permanent removal from communities was non-negotiable. He urged party campaigners to make women's safety a frontline issue as the IFP contests eThekwini.

South Africa has recorded persistently high rates of sexual offences. According to the South African Police Service's most recent crime statistics, 10,516 rapes were reported nationally in a single quarter, underlining the scale of the crisis the IFP sought to address at the launch.

Hlengwa promises deportation drive through intergovernmental channels

IFP eThekwini mayoral candidate Mkhuleko Hlengwa added a second pillar to the party's pitch, pledging to pursue the deportation of undocumented foreign nationals through intergovernmental relations should the party take control of the municipality.

Hlengwa acknowledged openly that immigration enforcement does not fall within the direct powers of a local government. He framed the initiative as a collaborative effort with national and provincial authorities, arguing it was essential to curbing crime, human trafficking, and drug distribution in the city, as well as ensuring that municipal resources were directed towards South African citizens.

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eThekwini is South Africa's third-largest city and remains a key battleground for multiple parties ahead of the November polls. The IFP held significant influence in KwaZulu-Natal for decades before the ANC became dominant in the province, and the party has been working to reclaim ground in urban centres such as Durban.

View the IFP's post about the campaign on Facebook here:

IFP demands PKTT intervention after councillor candidates killed

In a related article, Briefly News reported on the IFP’s call for an urgent investigation into the killings of councillor candidates Khethelo Mdluli and Lucky Sokhela in KwaZulu-Natal.

The deaths came within seven days of each other, as the province prepares for local government elections. The IFP says 18 elected councillors have been murdered in KwaZulu-Natal since the 2021 elections.

Source: Briefly News