The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is hunting down suspected “sell-outs” who allegedly colluded with uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party during the general elections leading to the party losing its grip on the province.
Sunday World has established through one of the ANC senior leaders who was stationed at the results centre at the Chief Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban that councillors should shoulder the blame.
“Heads should roll on all ward councillors where the ANC was defeated. They must account as to what went wrong. There are ANC wards, which some of them are our strongholds, we did not get a single vote. How do you explain that?” asked the senior leader.
The six months old ANC splinter grouping recorded a landslide victory in key ANC regions such as eThekwini, eating into the ANC stronghold of ward 101 covering Cator Crest informal settlement, Cator Manor and Mayville. It also caused an upset in hostels and townships such as Inanda, a key township with sentimental significance for the ANC.
Party founding president John Langalibalele Dube was born and raised in the area. It is in the same township where the late revered president Nelson Mandela cast his vote for the first time at Ohlange high school in 1994.
The 112-year-old liberation movement was also dealt a heavy blow in Ugu and uMgungundlovu districts.
But Mafika Mndebele, ANC KwaZulu-Natal spokesman told Sunday World the ANC had no time to venture into scapegoating. “We are clear this was a protest vote. Our people are voicing their anger over service delivery issues. People still love the ANC, and we can’t blame councillors for our loss.”
Under the ANC’s General Gizenga Mpanza region covering KwaDukuza, Ndwedwe, Mandeni and Maphumulo, the ANC was also not sparred the rod. In Mandeni on the north coast of KZN where the party brought in its president Cyril Ramaphosa, the ANC almost lost all the wards to the MK Party.
The defeat prompted Dolly Shandu, an influential ANC regional leader to lash out calling councillors and those who spearheaded the ANC’s election machinery traitors.
The MK Party is now the biggest party in KwaZulu-Natal having achieved 45% of voter share, translating to 37 seats in the provincial legislature.
Sunday World also understands the MK Party plans to poach ANC councillors in key municipalities such as eThekwini Metro and Msunduzi municipality. The move will force by-elections enabling the splinter grouping to take over and leverage the opportunity to prepare for the 2026 municipal elections, which is 18 months away.
