Velenkosini Hlabisa

Velenkosini Fiki Hlabisa (born 4 January 1965) is a South African politician and former teacher who is currently serving as Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the Government of National Unity (GNU) since June 2024. He has been President of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) since 2019 and a member of South Africa's National Assembly where he serves as his party's leader since October 2023. He previously served as the Secretary-General of the IFP from 2011 to 2017, as the Mayor of the Big Five Hlabisa Local Municipality from 2016 to 2019 and as the Leader of the Opposition in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature between 2019 and 2023.^[2][3][4]

The Honourable Velenkosini Hlabisa MP
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 July 2024[1]
President	Cyril Ramaphosa
Deputy	Dickson Masemola and Zolile Burns-Ncamashe
Preceded by	Thembi Nkadimeng
President of the Inkatha Freedom Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 25 August 2019
Deputy	Inkosi Buthelezi
Preceded by	Mangosuthu Buthelezi
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
Incumbent
Assumed office 19 October 2023
Preceded by	Mangosuthu Buthelezi
Leader of the Opposition in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature
In office 22 May 2019 – 18 October 2023
Premier	Sihle Zikalala Nomusa Dube-Ncube
Preceded by	Zwakele Mncwango
Succeeded by	Blessed Gwala
Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature
In office 22 May 2019 – 18 October 2023
Mayor of the Big Five Hlabisa Local Municipality
In office 3 August 2016 – 22 May 2019
Preceded by	Position established
Personal details
Born	Velenkosini Fiki Hlabisa (1965-01-04) 4 January 1965 (age 60) Hlabisa, Natal, South Africa
Political party	Inkatha Freedom Party
Alma mater	University of Zululand University of South Africa

He currently serves as the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.^[5][1]

Early life, education and career

Velenkosini Fiki Hlabisa was born on 4 January 1965 in Hlabisa, Northern Natal. He is the eldest of four children born to David and Thembani Hlabisa.^[6] He joined the IFP Youth Brigade at the age of thirteen in 1978 and matriculated from high school in 1983. Hlabisa then proceeded to study at the University of Zululand and the University of South Africa. His father died while he was at university in 1990. In 1991, he sought employment as a teacher and worked as one at Ngebeza High School for five years and soon as principal of Somfula High School for twenty years.^[7][8]

Political career

In the 1995 municipal elections, Hlabisa was elected a municipal councillor for the town of Hlabisa. He continuously served as a municipal councillor for twenty-four years, during which he was Mayor of the Big Five Hlabisa Local Municipality from 2016 to 2019.^[9] In May 2019, he was elected to the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature and given the title of Leader of the Opposition due to the IFP reclaiming the title of second-largest party in the province.^[10] Hlabisa is a member of the legislature's Finance committee.^[11]

IFP leadership

Since joining the IFP in 1978, Hlabisa had risen through the party's leadership ranks. He was elected Secretary-General of the party in 2011. In 2017, the IFP's Extended National Council unanimously endorsed Hlabisa to succeed Mangosuthu Buthelezi as party president. Hlabisa was elected unopposed as the new leader of the IFP at the party's 35th National General Conference held in August 2019.^[12][13][14]

Parliamentary career

On 16 October 2023, IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa announced that the party's National Executive Committee had resolved that Hlabisa would take up the late Mangosuthu Buthelezi's seat in the National Assembly. Party chief whip in the provincial legislature Blessed Gwala was appointed the party's new caucus leader in the legislature.^[15] Hlabisa was sworn in as a Member of Parliament on 19 October 2023.^[16]

Following the 2024 South African general election he now serves as the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.^[17][1]