The eThekwini metro will be named after Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi and the provincial legislature with its seat is currently in Pietermaritzburg will be relocated to Ulundi.
These are some of the proposals put on the table by ActionSA, as it drums up the support for the party ahead of the 2024 national and provincial elections.
Led by Herman Mashaba, who was once the DA’s City of Johannesburg mayor, ActionSA will contest its maiden general polls after having been formed in August 2020.
Zwakele Mncwango, the party’s premier candidate for KwaZulu-Natal, reiterated the plan by his party to lead a campaign to name the only metro in the province after the founder of the IFP.
“In fact, this is long overdue,” Mncwango said.
“Umntwana [Buthelezi] contributed immensely in terms of developing KZN to what it is today, as such he must be accorded the respect he deserves.
“We should all put our political differences aside and give the man the honour and respect he deserves.”
Relocation of provincial parliament
He added that his party would also support a move to relocate the provincial parliament to Ulundi, KwaZulu-Natal’s previous administration and legislative capital under the IFP.
The plan is, however, expected to be intensely opposed by the governing ANC, which at some point had expressed its intention to rename the Mangosuthu Highway after Griffiths Mxenge to honour the ANC stalwart.
The ANC’s proposal, however, did not see the light of day after strong opposition, especially from the IFP.
The party said at the time that the ANC’s stance was a provocation, noting that it would roll back the reconciliatory talks between the two traditional political foes.
Buthelezi, who was also the traditional prime minister to the Zulu monarch, passed away on September 9, a week after he was discharged from the hospital and two weeks after his 95th birthday.
He had been admitted to the hospital for treatment for his back pain, but had suffered more complications in hospital and was in intensive care for some time.
His passing was confirmed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who said at the time: “I am deeply saddened to announce the passing of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the Prince of KwaPhindangene, traditional prime minister to the Zulu monarch and nation, and the founder and president emeritus of the Inkatha Freedom Party [IFP].”
The president described Buthelezi as an outstanding leader in the political and cultural life of the nation.
