Buoyed by consecutive polling results, which put the party among the top four parties standing to gain increased electoral support ahead of next month’s elections, the DA has set its sight on being the majority party in KwaZulu-Natal.
The plan was announced by DA leader John Steenhuisen, who addressed throngs of party hopefuls converged at Durban’s Greyville convention centre at the weekend.
60% of voter turnout
“The social research foundation, which is now interested in KZN, [so much] that it’s polling every single day. According to them, if there was an election here today with a 60% voter turnout, we will emerge as the biggest party,” Steenhuisen said as the crowd, which had been bused in from various areas in KZN gave him a loud round of applause.
Steenhuisen had been criss-crossing the lengths and breadths of the country, visiting the eight metros in the country located in five provinces, with his last stop being in Durban, his hometown.
According to him, the sentiments on the ground was that KZN will be a battle ground. He said the tidal wave of change will sweep through like a tsunami.
The event was also the party’s final push as in its bid to convince voters that the DA deserved a chance in the ballot. During the 2014 general elections, the blue party became the second-biggest party in KZN after the ANC.
Dislodged by the IFP
The blue party’s excitement was, however short lived, when it was dislodged from the opposition benches by the IFP. The latter being a party which is an ally in the multiparty charter — previously the moonshot pact.
Currently, the DA’s test to governance in KZN is through Umngeni local municipality. It covers mainly Howick near Pietermaritzburg and other areas such as eMpophomeni.
The mayor of Umngeni local municipality under uMgungundlovu district, Chris Pappas, spoke of having a plan for KZN. The DA has put him forward as its premier candidate.
“We have a plan for this province. All we want is for the voters to lend us their vote for the next five years. We are urging the people of KZN to rescue themselves,” he said.
ANC still predicted to lead, but with a lower margin
The Brenthurst Foundation conducted a survey between February and March 2024. It put uMkhonto weSizwe as the leading party in KZN after the general elections. This with a potential of garnering 25% of the provincial votes, it said. The party is branded around the cult figure of former President Jacob Zuma. It is followed by the governing ANC at 20%, while both the DA and the IFP are polled to receive 19% each.
Nationally, the latest IPSOS poll show that the ANC has a potential to get 40.2% of the vote. It is followed by the DA at 21.9%, EFF 11.9% and MK at 8.4%
Gauteng, which has the highest number of registered voters, followed by KwaZulu-Natal, are the two provinces closely watched. They are also the largest contributors to the GDP.
