Pieter du Toit | Election Brief: A flicker of life, but the IFP after Buthelezi faces tough task

Mangosuthu Buthelezi dominated the IFP for decades. Next year's election will be a test for a party that has, over the course of democracy, shrivelled, writes Pieter du Toit.

Keeping a political party afloat – never mind competitive or coherent – is a herculean task. Those parties that have been successful have been able to establish internal structures, including a culture of internal democracy; they have developed and refined various policies, and they have been able to keep themselves relevant. 

Many parties on our political scene have been constructed around the individual, rather than building a broad leadership structure based on underlying and guiding principles.