IFP president Velenkosi Hlabisa says the party wishes to grow stronger beyond its traditional stronghold of KwaZulu-Natal.
"We want the IFP to make a national footprint, not to be classified as a KZN regional party," he said at the party's 50th birthday celebrations at Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi stadium in Ulundi on Sunday.
He lauded the late party leader for his contribution to the organisation and the nation.
"The journey of the IFP over the past 50 years has been remarkable. A journey of good times, difficult times and now good times again. Ours has been a story of resilience, service and integrity."
Hlabisa said from the beginning, the IFP embraced a democratic South Africa built not on revenge but on reconciliation.
He said it was in Lusaka in 1974 where Buthelezi received advice from Zambia's president Kenneth Kaunda to create a "cohesive force."
"Kaunda encouraged Buthelezi to establish a membership-based organisation to re-ignite political mobilisation after the apartheid regime had banned other movements like the ANC and PAC and the fight against the apartheid regime had no centre," he said, adding that Buthelezi also sought advice from the ANC's leader in exile Oliver Tambo, who agreed.