- The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal says it considers the decision of people to leave the ANC and join the Umkhonto we'Sizwe party a “protest”.
- The state spokesperson, Mafika Mndebele, told media on Saturday that the organisation was engaged in “voluntary remediation” following the loss of the state.
- His remarks come after the provincial government failed to achieve the 70% majority demanded by President Cyril Ramaphosa at a recent rally in Siyankoba.
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal reluctantly conceded defeat after suffering a major defeat in Wednesday's general election, with its support in the province falling below 50%.
As of Saturday morning, the once-mighty state government had 594,959 The ANC held the province in 2019 with 54.22% of the vote, a significantly reduced majority from the 2014 election.
“It's the first time since the state lost its majority,” provincial spokesperson Mafika Mndebele said on Saturday.
We do not see this as a defeat. We see it as a message. Harry Gwala told us that the people are our Lord. In fact, as the ANC, we see the people of this country as Gods and that is why we accept the results and their message.
This was in stark contrast to what he told News24 on Thursday morning, as results began to trickle in.
“It's premature,” he said after the IEC board gave a clear indication that former president Jacob Zuma's Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) party was in the lead to govern the province.
READ | 'Charismatic, down-to-earth and relatable': How Zuma charmed the masses and defeated the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal
News24 reported that there was visibly dejected expression at the Electoral Commission of South Africa's (IEC) Results Operations Centre (ROC) in Durban on the first day of vote counting.
In the brightly lit assembly hall, politicians appeared disappointed by the result – or the slowness of the vote count. Some smaller parties were reluctant to turn out, but representatives of the MK party appeared to be walking around in high spirits.
Political party representatives gather at the KZN IEC results centre on May 30, 2024. (Deaan Vivier/Beeld/Gallo Images)
Garo Images
KZN ANC leaders did not turn out, but provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo told News24 last year that about 4,000 activists in eThekwini had contributed to the party's victory and that he would be attending the ROC himself to monitor the outcome.
Two weeks ago, party elders and leaders warned that “weak” leadership in the state could see the party lose its most crucial election since 1994.
Following the rise of what some call pro-Taliban forces at the 9th Provincial Elective Conference held at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban, winds of change have begun to blow in KwaZulu-Natal with Cyril Ramaphosa taking over as party leader ahead of the 2022 national elective conference.
But almost three years on, service delivery has slumped to an all-time low and party leaders are dominating the headlines for the wrong reasons, including the microphone-grabbing incident in March that caused a rift in already strained relations with the AmaZulu monarch.
Furthermore, Zuma decided to turn his back on the party and campaign for MK.
READ | 2024 elections: President Ramaphosa confident ANC will not be 'battered nose' after elections
During the election campaign, President Ramaphosa had asserted that “the ANC would not suffer” after the election, but the province certainly did.
Mndebele told reporters that MK's landslide victory in the province came as a surprise, echoing comments made by national chairman Gwede Mantashe earlier this week.
“We did not expect this to happen. We have to honestly acknowledge that there was deep discontent among the people. And the message is now very clear. What the ANC leadership needs to do now is not to see this as a defeat but as a clear message that something has to be done.”
“We can't just talk about corruption, we have to be seen to be acting against corruption. We can't just talk about service delivery, we have to be seen to be delivering services to the people. The ANC is by and large the hope of the people and the ANC must continue to operate.”
Read | Mantashe was surprised by MK's support in KwaZulu-Natal but still believes the ANC will win 50% of the national vote.
Mndebele blames the “protest vote” on the ANC's failure to address service delivery, particularly in eThekwini metro, corruption and lack of implementation of its reform plans.
“When you have an organisation as big and complex as the ANC, you have to act accordingly and maintain your integrity. I don't see this as the job of one individual.”
“We see this result as a public outcry. What the ANC must not do is launch into a witch hunt, but it must clean itself up. That is our resolve.”
Mndebele said what was important now was ensuring stability in the state and “protecting our economy and our people.”
“As the ANC we remain positive and I can assure the public that stability will be maintained, the economy will be protected and our country, particularly the provinces, will continue to develop,” he said.
READ | 'We are worried': Senior ANC leaders worried about 'weak' leadership in KZN
“I will not comment on individual parties, but we are in discussions with others and we must remember we are not desperate to stay in power,” Mndebele said of the coalition talks.
“But the benchmark is stability. If you look at MK there is a bigger concern right now. What we are worried about as the ANC is their understanding of and behaviour towards government.”
“For example, you may have heard that they are now contesting the entire election results, but they failed to understand before the election that there were vaults where the ballots were being stored. These are people that worry us, and when we debate, we should be debating with people who are trying to maintain the integrity of governance.”
He said governance was not about raising slogans but “a complex issue of resolving the plight of the people”.
READ | Damage control mode: KwaZulu-Natal ANC calms tensions after House of Representatives microphone grabber incident
Mndebele denied claims that the controversial microphone-grabbing incident in Kwatsheza in March cost the ANC votes.
He was referring to an incident when ANC provincial chairperson Siboniso Duma, who was programme director for the 110th anniversary celebrations in his capacity as minister of economic development, tourism and environmental affairs, snatched the microphone from the podium while AmaZulu Prime Minister Thulasizwe Buthelezi was introducing King Misuzulu Kazwelithini.
Buthelezi, who is also mayor of the IFP's Zululand district, stepped into politics while still wearing his prime ministerial hat, angering the ANC provincial chairman, who quickly grabbed the microphone from the stand.
“I think you have taken the issue too far in that regard. Let the ANC explain. Thulasizwe Buthelezi is an (IFP) politician and will be dealt with as a politician. Remember, he is not from royalty or a monarchy and there is a difference between those and common people,” Mndebele said.
He maintained that the ANC respected King Misuzulu Kazwelithni and the amakhosi (chiefs).
“Politicians should not use traditional institutions to oppose movements. That is our view as the ANC and we stick to it. It's a matter of principle,” he said.
